Memories of the Heart
by twilit angel
Summary: A collection of short stories from my other story, Heart and Soul.
1. The Frying Pan Incident

Cooking was something Arun never really had a problem with. Once he got a home to call his own, he had to learn how to cook in order to survive. It wasn't one of his most favorite things to do, but when required he'd do it.

So, when he decided to sign up for Home Economics class at school he wasn't particularly bothered by it considering Arty and Caelum were also there. In fact it was because of Arty he signed up for the class in the first place. She wanted a class she could take with both of her best friends and Home Economics was the only class they had a free period slot for. In that case he knew it wouldn't be all that bad with his friends there.

Arun gave a long yawn as the teacher, a small, portly woman, rambled on about what the day's assignment would be. He didn't really listen to anything the teacher said. She seemed like a nice woman, but more biased against the boys. She seemed to favor the girls more for some reason. He guessed that was because the school encouraged the girls to be homemakers since their town was rather small and there was no real jobs for women. That would have been good over three decades ago, but the girls of the current generation wanted to do anything but be a homemaker. Arty certainly didn't want to.

He snuck a peek across the counter to where Arty was seated. She had her rapt attention on the teacher, hanging on every word for the assignment. Arun was amazed she would pay attention to a subject she found no true enjoyment from. He supposed that's just how Arty was. She was the good little student all the teachers loved. Him? Not so much.

After ten agonizing minutes of listening to the teacher explain the procedure, she finally released them to begin. While they went to gather the ingredients, she stepped out to go use the restroom quickly as was her habit. The woman drank way too much tea for her own good if the empty mug on the front counter was anything to go by.

"So, what do we need to do?" Arun asked Arty above the chattering voices in the background.

"We have to make an omelet," Arty explained with a soft smile. Arun had a habit of asking her for the directions rather than listen to the teacher. He claimed he always understood when she simplified things. She slipped an apron over her head. "To earn a full grade we have to use two ingredients in order to pass. Points get marked off if it's undercooked or burnt."

"Ok." An omelet. He could do that. He's made plenty of omelets before, though he couldn't tell if he ever did them undercooked. "Caelum, gather the ingredients, will ya? I'll get the frying pan."

"You really want to fight the crowd?" Caelum questioned with a raised eyebrow. It was apparent he didn't object as he already moved to the cupboards in the back of the classroom for their intended ingredients.

The crowd he spoke of was the one to retrieve a frying pan. Because their school was dirt poor and far too cheap, the class only had a set amount of cooking pans to use. As a result tables often had to share their pots and pans and most of the time partnered up. The teacher knew this so she would overlook the fact people had similarly made meals as long as people did their part in the cooking.

Arun partnered up with Arty and Caelum since the younger teens had trouble with cooking. It was one of the few things he could hang over Caelum's head. The guy couldn't cook as well as he could. Arty, on the other hand, only knew simple recipes so she mostly cooked to survive. There were a few advantages to being partnered to Arun. One being the fact most people were afraid of him and would listen to his demands. Then again, it was also a curse.

Today seemed to be one of those days it was a curse. Arun found that when he approached the front counter where the frying pans awaited most of the class had quickly snatched a frying pan before he could even get to the front. By the time the students quickly retreated to the safety of their counters, there was only one frying pan left. Arun was determined to get it before anyone decided to get it.

He raced forward to lay a hand on it, claiming it as his. Yet, at the end same time his hand touched the cool iron he found another hand grabbed the handle. Arun followed the hand up to its owner and nearly snarled.

"Back off, Ethan. Go find your own frying pan," he threatened.

"Make me, Goldy," a burly boy a year older than Arun barked back.

Arun's eye twitched at the nickname. Ethan was a notorious bully at their school with a reputation nearly as bad as Arun's. He normally spent the school day bullying the other students, including Arun. Arun was mostly his main target considering he had no parents to whine and hide behind, which he mentioned daily. He even gave him the annoying nickname of 'Goldy' because his eyes were an unnatural color.

Arun wasn't affected by his taunts and threats for two reasons. One, he could beat up the boy with a hand tied behind his back and everyone knew it. And two, most of the girls at their school would retaliate if they saw a scratch on their precious Arun. They loved him enough and despised any boy who dared to lay a finger on him-a fact that both scared off potential bullies and made the guys envy Arun, the lucky bastard. Everyone got the message except for Ethan. The idiot wouldn't get that through his thick head.

The room fell silent at the standoff of two bullies. Arun knew at least half of them rooted for him considering he wasn't such a bad guy when they got to know him (though they admitted he was far too arrogant for his own good) while the other half didn't want to get involved. Arun may have calmed down in recent years, but if they got in his way there'd be hell to pay.

"Why the hell do you even want this? You don't give a damn about school," Arun retorted.

"I can say the same, Goldy. I want this because I said so. Now, let go!" Ethan yanked on the pan to get Arun to release his hold. But, Arun kept a firm grip on it.

"What, you finally paying attention so you'll please Mommy? I bet she found out you were skipping school, didn't she?" Arun pulled at the frying pan hard, yet Ethan didn't let go. In fact he pulled back.

"Fuck you! At least I have a mom unlike you, orphan boy!"

"You really think that's supposed to hurt? Come up with better insults next time unless you lost too many brain cells drowning them in alcohol!"

"This coming from the guy who has crabs?"

"How the hell would you know? Do you stare at me in the locker room while I change?"

The insults escalated as the two played a game of tug-of-war with the frying pan. Most of the naive and innocent had to cover their ears at the vulgarity of their insults. Who knew a person could talk like that? To the rest it was amusing to see them get that way over a frying pan of all things. The two were engrossed in their exchanges as they used all of their strength to get the pan. However, being a test of strength, one that Arun would obviously win, the pan slipped out from under Ethan's slippery fingers as Arun yanked back the frying pan.

"Aha!" he cried out, victorious. He was half-tempted to wave the frying pan in the air like he would with a wooden sword as if he won a hard battle. Ha! No one could beat him when it came to pure muscle! But, to keep himself from looking like a dork, he smirked at the furious Ethan and quickly hurried to his work station.

He didn't have a chance to.

Something yanked on his arm hard enough to make Arun stumble back. Losing his balance, he fell to the linoleum floor. Strangely enough, he still had a good hold on the frying pan. Before he could get up, Ethan was on top of him to try and wrestle the pan from him. Arun struggled to keep it out of his grasp.

"Give me it, God damnit!" Ethan snarled. He reached down to grab Arun by the throat. With Ethan on top of him to straddle his waist, effectively trapping his legs, Arun couldn't do much as the boy pinched his airways enough so he had trouble breathing.

"Make me, asshole!" Arun gurgled out. He choked when Ethan leaned forward to grab the frying pan kept out of his reach. He couldn't breathe!

Arun had enough of this. He held back on causing a scene while Arty was in the room. She always got upset when he got into physical fights. She practically had to plead him not to get into fights. She worried when he did. But, his restraint reached its limit when he found he couldn't breathe and the boy on top of him pissed him off too much. He was ending this _now_.

So, when Ethan leaned forward Arun's survival reflexes kicked in. The hand that held the frying pan whipped out to hit the boy in order to damage a part of his body. There was a satisfying crack as it hit something solid. Ethan yelled in pain, rolling to the side to curl up in a ball.

Arun sucked in a precious breath (just in time, too, because his vision became fuzzy), turning to see Ethan clutched at his face-particularly over his nose. Blood dribbled down from the cracks between his fingers. Arun breathed a low chuckle at the sight.

"Serves you right, moron," said Arun, standing up. Brushing off his clothes, he stepped around the fallen bully to make his way back to his workstation. He ignored the incredulous and fearful looks his classmates sent him on the way. He had to make an effort to not see Arty pinch the bridge of her nose in frustration and Caelum's scowl. His attentions became focused on beginning their work. Although, internally, he smirked in triumph.

That'll teach arrogant little assholes to mess with him. He may have gone soft, but he could still beat down anyone who dared to question him. And that's the way it should be.

* * *

><p>XXX<p>

* * *

><p><strong>So, here's a short story of <strong>**_Heart and Soul_**** I promised. This is the first in a collection of short stories that you guys might find interesting. I wasn't really sure what story to write about first, so I decided to write one about Arun's school days. Particularly, the one Caelum told Max in Rapunzel's world. As ****_Heart and Soul_**** moves on I'll write some stories the characters mention so you, the readers, may get a better view of what happened. Be warned, though. Some of the stories won't have the same character narrating. One story might have Arun while another might be Caelum or Arty.**

**With that said, I'll also be open to requests of stories you guys might want as long as the characters have mentioned it in ****_Heart and Soul._**** I don't want to ruin any surprises I have in store. So, basically, if Arun's heard it, I'll write it. Please tell me what story you want me to write about next!**


	2. Dance of the Crocodiles

It was a universal law that whenever something bad happened it was Arun's fault. Or rather, that's how Caelum saw it.

Caelum knew he was being judgmental when it came to blaming Arun for when bad things happened. It wasn't exactly fair to blame him when the water pipes in the boy's locker room burst at school when he wasn't anywhere near them. Simple things like accidents weren't Arun's fault. Yet, for all of the situations Arun found himself in Caelum couldn't help but blame the older boy when he got dragged into his messes.

Caelum and Max hid behind the leg of a dresser with their new acquaintances, Bernard and Bianca. They met the other mice during their chase after the crocodiles. They made the mistake of trying to swim after them when they saw Arun had been carried off by a little girl, whom the crocodiles carried. This resulted in getting run over by Bernard and Bianca's leaf speedboat.

Caelum would admit swimming wasn't the smartest idea he's ever had. Again, he blamed Arun for that lack of thought. After all that idiot's done, he forced Caelum to worry about him. Not because he wanted to! Oh, no. He was worried for Arty's sake.

If there was one thing he didn't want to happen again, it was to see Arty get depressed. He told Arun a simplified version of what havoc his sacrifice did to their mutual friend's emotions. Arty let those emotions get the better of her. This resulted in some badly made decisions that she was still recovering from. He never wanted to see her go through that again.

So, it was no wonder he was worried about Arun's safety.

Because they were run over by their boat, Bernard and Bianca were gracious enough to bring him and Max on board. Unsurprisingly, they asked why they were in the water in the first place. That led to an exchange of information on both parts that led to several conclusions:

One, they both had business at the steamboat.

Two, the crocodiles kidnapped the people they needed to save.

And three, they hated, _hated_ those crocodiles.

So, it was no surprise they both found themselves in the same place at the same time. And they were all prepared to rescue their respective people. But, first, they had to get past the big, bad, crocs and their vile mistress.

Caelum was sure all of them were disgusted to hear this woman, Medusa, and her bumbling lackey, Mr. Snoops, were forcing a little six year old girl to find a huge diamond when she already had other just as valuable gems.

"She's insane," whispered Bianca, voicing all their thoughts. "Utterly mad."

"I'll second that," Max agreed.

"I want that diamond," Medusa said, shaking her cane at her lackey. "I've got to have the Devil's eye. You didn't have the girl down there log enough."

"She won't take orders," complained the lackey. Caelum couldn't call him anything else because, quite frankly, the man had no back bone whatsoever. He didn't deserve to be referred to by his name.

"You're too soft." She jabbed a long, bony finger in his face, her tall stature overpowering the shorter man.

"But, the water was rising and the tide was coming in! And all she did down there was fuss about her teddy bear getting wet."

"Snoops, you don't have a way with children," she said, condescendingly. "You must gain their confidence, make them like you."

"Yeah? How do you do that?" The lackey questioned.

They winced when Medusa suddenly lashed out. Her voice went from a nauseating sweet that made Caelum get a stomachache to a curious banshee level. Talk about bipolar!

"You force them to like you! At the next low tide I'm going to put her down there myself and keep her there until she finds it. It's as simple as that."

"Oh, as simple as that, is it?" From the tone, it sounded as if the lackey still didn't get it. Idiot. "We'll, you're the boss, uh, boss."

"You'd think they haven't tried asking Penny nicely without threatening her," Max sarcastically remarked. "You can't just force a kid to like you. Scaring them doesn't help their case, either. I've met people who are just plain mean to their kids, but they're still better parents than these two."

"My aunt's better than them both and she was the worst kind of person to raise a child." Caelum shuddered at the thought of Aunt Christa. She may have been his mother's sister but that woman was not a suitable guardian. His knuckles still smarted from the number of times she'd smack a ruler on them. He didn't even know why she had a ruler in the first place other than to use it as a torture device.

"We need to get Penny out of here tonight," Bernard said, worried at what they heard. He saw Medusa and her loyal pets began to leave the room.

They hid farther behind the dresser as the larger beings passed. However, the two crocodiles abruptly came to a halt, their snouts sniffing the air. Bernard's face dropped in horror.

"Bianca, I think they smell your perfume."

Indeed, it was all too easy to whiff the flowery and pleasant smell wafting from the female mouse. It was nice but not good for them when the crocodiles followed the scent trail.

"Oh, dear," Bianca said, realizing her mistake.

It certainly didn't mean good news for them when the trail clearly led back to them. Their snouts close to the ground, one of the crocodiles sniffed them out from underneath the dresser until its snout was on top of them. The four of them backed towards the walls as the snout lifted the dresser. It advanced closely until they had nowhere else to run. Bernard, in some unconscious move as the eldest male there, had everyone else behind him when the snout was too close for comfort. Still, he was terrified out of his mind as the crocodile's front teeth grabbed hold of his shirt and dragged him out.

In a bid to save him Max latched onto Bernard's arm. But, no matter how hard he tried there was nothing a little mouse could do against a giant, scaly crocodile. He only ended up getting dragged out along with him.

"Max!" Caelum ran out into the open in time to see Bernard bonked the crocodile on his nose. The scaly monster dropped them out of surprise. Both mice hit the ground and quickly stood with little to no time to run from the now angry lizard after them.

The two ran across the room towards the window. Both had to jump occasionally to avoid the snapping jaws behind them. They reached the window and scurried up the frayed deep purple curtains. Caelum vaguely wondered when Max learned how to climb up the fabric as if he were an actual mouse. They climbed higher to get away from the advancing croc who didn't get the message (or common sense) that his species weren't meant to climb. The monster's sudden weight tore the curtain rod from the wall. The curtain fabric fluttered down with Max and Bernard still on it.

The two pounced on it, tumbling around underneath to get to the two morsels.

"Oh, no!" Bianca gasped. She ran for the group, Caelum behind her. She made to enter the fray, but Caelum beat her to it.

He ran in to join the chaos within. The curtain fabric rustled all around, belinding him. Somewhere in the mess Max and Bernard were yelling out. Caelum sniffed them out using his new enhanced nose. He had no trouble finding them. He grabbed hold of a small paw and dragged them out. Caelum found he grabbed Bernard, whom Max gripped his shirt in a death grip. Both were dazed from the ordeal they went through. Caelum released Bernard to grab Max and drag him away to the nearest safe area: an organ instrument. Bianca did the same with Bernard.

The four scurried up the pipes from the bottom. Caelum was overwhelmed by the pungent smell of tarnished brass. It was giving him a headache. He and Max hid up in one of the lower pipes while Bernard and Bianca hid in another place.

"Are you alright?" Caelum asked Max. He quickly assessed the other teen for any injuries he might have sustained. Just from a quick scan all he saw was that Max was just in shock.

"I'm-I'm fine," Max said through chattering teeth. He held himself in a hug, his frame violently trembling.

"Good." Seeing he was fine, he gave a quick glance out of the mouth. He had to hide himself away again as the crocodile peeped into the pipes to find them. He and Max huddled around the corners of the mouth until the dark eye disappeared. When he did they relaxed. "Okay. I think we're-"

His next words were silenced by a bass tone that ruptured the air. Because of his new hearing, Caelum's vision doubled and became unfocused. He clamped his paws over his ears and screamed at his burst ear drums (if mice had those), barely registering a gust of wind blasted them out of the pipe. Through the pain, he saw a flash of deep green and knew what was happening.

Blasted in the air, Caelum tumbled over to the pipe opening once the crocodile playing the organs lifted its hands from the keyboard. Through the fog of pain, he thought that image alone was too much like a cartoon. He slid down the new pipe, barely escaping the jaws of the second crocodile hovering by the top of the organ pipes. He hit the bottom to find he wasn't alone.

A small paw touched the crook of his arm. Cracking open an eye, he saw Bianca give him a worried glance. In the chaos she lost her fluffy purple hat. Her lips moved, but all Caelum heard was a dull ringing.

_This is like the Wasteland all over again,_ he thought, writhing internally. The music that played when they fought the Clock Tower gave him the worst migraine he ever experienced. He was certain that was going to stay the worst. He was proven wrong. _I need to get more aspirin. I need one._

Caelum reached for his potions pouch. Before he could, he was interrupted again. He was lifted to into the air (this time, the sound could not hurt him with his busted ear drums) to pop out of the opening where a crocodile awaited. Again, he managed to narrowly escape sharp teeth and fell into another pipe away from Bianca.

Falling down in time to see Max hold the edge of the pipe's mouth, they were subjected to a longer burst of air. Caelum grabbed Max's foot but could not stop being carried away.

The next minute they were unable to do anything as the crocodiles 'played' with them in a way. While one crocodile played the keyboard, the bursts of air played with each note placed all four of them to the mercy or lack thereof to the giant scaled monsters. It was a whirlwind that happened so fast Caelum only saw flashes of color and movement through the tears that welled up in eyes caused by the dust in the air.

So, when he found himself inside a pipe lying on its side Caelum was left in a daze. He sat up slowly, holding a paw to his aching head. Blood pounded through his head so hard it was like a mini blackout. His ears were like stuffed cotton as he could hear nothing but ringing. Through the fog clouding his mind, he cast Cure on himself.

Relief washed over him from head to toe. The ringing silence ended with a _pop!_ as his eardrums instantly healed. Silence was replaced by a shrill scream that hurt his freshly healed hearing. He stood slightly wobbling and poked his head out of the pipe mouth to investigate that awful noise.

"A mouse!" Medusa screamed. She stood on top of a chair, frightened by the sight of the tiny Bernard. "Snoops! Kill it! Kill it!"

The lackey came out from another doorway brandishing a broom. He swept it down to somehow squish the male mouse. The broom did no real damage with its soft bristles. Bernard slipped through with no harm done to him. Still, the lackey was persistent in attempting to kill the mouse. The male mouse ran underneath the chair Medusa stood atop on and the lackey still swung. The chair must have been brittle because the broom broke through the chair like it was made of glass.

Medusa went down screaming. Bernard darted over to where Bianca was and grabbed his paw to take her to safety. Caelum and Max climbed out of the pipes to follow after them.

"There's more of them!" Medusa shrieked.

They raced for the open doorway leading outside. The lackey and the crocodiles followed after behind them, the mice had to duck out from around the large feet attempting to squish them. They froze at the sound of a gunshot barely brushing against Caelum.

His blood ran cold as he saw Medusa held a shotgun. He wasn't comfortable seeing the weapon after seeing his aunt wield it enough times. Medusa quickly reloaded the weapon and fired more shots at them. By then, the four were running for their lives to avoid getting shot.

They ducked behind some furniture that got blown to bits so they could take cover. Once behind some semblance of safety, Caelum put a hand over his heart to find it beating a mile a minute. He didn't remember the last time he had been so scared of a gun like that. For the past year the Heartless were the only ones to frighten him so much.

For a few more seconds the shots reverberated through the boat when it suddenly stopped. Caelum hesitantly peered around the block of broken wood to see Medusa had trouble with the shotgun. It would click when she pulled the trigger, which aggravated her.

"What is wrong with this thing?" she hissed.

Caelum felt a tapping on his arm. He looked at the side to see Bernard point to the open doorway. Now was the perfect chance to get away. Nodding, Caelum, Max, Bernard, and Bianca made a break for the outside. They reached the edge of the railing to jump down when another gunshot emitted far too close to them for comfort.

The velocity of the bullets sent a small shockwave that sent the four mice flying off to the swamp. Caelum only registered what happened only when he hit the freezing swamp water. He swam up to the surface to see the leaf speed boat nearby. He swam toward it, climbed in, and collapsed in a shuddering mess next to Max.

_That woman tried to kill us!_ his thoughts screamed. He let out a breath, gasping for air. Now was the second time someone made an attempt on his life lately. He really didn't enjoy that when he lived in constant danger. This was something he wasn't used to but had to because he was stupid enough to go on this journey with Arun. _I'm going to _kill _him._

This was all Arun's fault.

* * *

><p>XXX<p>

* * *

><p><strong>I know this little tidbit of what happened with Caelum and Max in <strong>_**The Rescuers**_** world was unnecessary, but I'm experimenting with Caelum's voice and thoughts. So, you can see what really goes through his head.**

**Anyway, I'm sure all of my readers of my account will find I updated a new chapter for **_**Where the Heart Lies, Heart and Soul,**_** and this story. I'm doing this in honor of my birthday this Friday, June 6, as it will be my second decade alive AKA I'm finally 20 years old! You'll be wondering why I didn't update the day of my birthday and that is because I'm leaving for a trip to Disneyland today! I'll be in Disneyland for all of my birthday tomorrow so there's no way I could update while inside the park. So, in celebration of this, I have shared my happiness in the form of a new chapter for some of my current stories!**

**Look out for some more future side stories! And please keep recommending what you want to read! I know a lot of you are waiting to see from Arty's POV and what happened in the first **_**Kingdom Hearts**_** , but I'm going to wait until after Hollow Bastion in the main story. Some of you will find out the reason why I'm doing that then.  
><strong>

**Please comment on the chapter as a birthday gift to me while I go to the Happiest Place on Earth!**


	3. An Archer's Daily Dilemmas

It was a day that Arty didn't look forward to and hadn't known she wouldn't look forward to until she was told.

Arty fidgeted in her chair inside Merlin's house as Aerith and Yuffie moved around her. She tried not to move but found it too hard as Aerith styled her hair and Yuffie put eyeliner on her eyes. None of the men in the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee were around, favoring to stay away. They wouldn't be able to handle Arty's pleading eyes to take her away from the women. She wanted out of this situation and wondered how this was happening.

Her first date with a boy.

She balled her fists in frustration where they lay in her lap for the past twenty minutes. How could this have happened? All she did was accept a friendly invitation. She hadn't known it was a 'boy asking a girl out on a date' kind of invitation!

The day before Arty had got to the Moogle shop to purchase a synthesizing material for Merlin, who needed it for a spell. While there, she met with a boy about her age who did stock for the Moogles. Arty knew him because she was the first customer he helped when he started. He got her good deals for the odd days she needed to synthesize items. The two of them talked for awhile until he asked her an odd question.

"_So, uh, Arty?"_ the boy, Malcolm, hesitantly asked. "_Are you free for lunch tomorrow?"_

"_Tomorrow?"_ Arty had thought about it. She knew the committee was busy with the Heartless and Nobodies lately. They had doubled in number for the past few days and it worried everyone. But, they did have to eat. "_Sure, I guess. Why?"_

"_I was wondering if you wanted to have lunch with me. There's this new café that opened and I've been meaning to try it."_

She heard about that café as well. From what people said, it was really good.

"_Okay, sure! Let's go try it."_

"_R-Really?"_ Malcolm had given her a wide grin. Arty hadn't realized it was full of joy at her acceptance. "_Okay! Tomorrow! We'll meet here at eleven."_

After that, his boss told him to get back to work. Arty bought what she needed and left. She hadn't thought much about it until she made the mistake of asking if Cid needed her help for lunch and told him she was meeting someone.

Yuffie, who was also in the room at the time, practically squealed in joy as she heard Arty was meeting a boy. She told Arty outright she was going on a date.

Apparently, when a boy asked a girl out to eat somewhere and it was just the two of them, it was a date. At least, that's what it meant according to Yuffie. Arty asked Cid what he thought just to make sure.

"I ain't sayin' nothin'," he had said, indifferent to the situation Arty found herself in.

Aerith caught word of the date and, teaming up with Yuffie, forced Arty to prepare for the date early the next day. They caught her as soon as she got to Merlin's house and began to prepare her. They put her in a grey and white summer dress that had a small flower on the front and made of lace. Then, they decided to put makeup on her. And now here she was, getting ready for her…date.

_How did this happen?_ she asked herself the hundredth time since she found out. Arty didn't want this to be a date! Why couldn't she eat out with a guy like normal? This never happened before with Arun or Caelum. When they ate out it wasn't like this! _I wish they came back. They wouldn't do this to me._

Her best friends wouldn't put her in a dress or tell her how to act on a date. She didn't need this! She didn't even _want_ to date in the first place!

"And…there! Done!" Yuffie declared. She stepped away from Arty, putting her hands on her hips. A smile spread on her lips in triumph. "I think I've outdone myself. What do you think, Aerith? Think she looks good?"

Hands left Arty's hair. Aerith moved around to stand by Yuffie's side in front of her. The flower girl smiled.

"She looks great! But, what matters most in Arty's opinion." Aerith grabbed a hand mirror she left on the platform. She held it up to reflect Arty's image back at her. "So? Do you like it?"

Arty couldn't answer, favoring to gape at what she saw.

At first she wasn't sure what she was looking at. In the mirror was a girl that looked like her but was far prettier. Her hair was braided to the side to rest on her right shoulder, a small white ribbon tied to keep it together. Her grey eyes were lined with a subtle shade of black and eyelids colored a light grey, lips a dark pink. But, Arty knew the image was her because she found her hair pins, keeping her fringe out of her face to the side.

Arty wanted to cry.

"It-It's great!" she lied, feigning joy. Her hands twitched in her lap where she wanted to mess it all up to look like herself again. She managed a smile full of gratitude. "Thanks, Aerith! Yuffie!"

The two women didn't say a word and beamed at her thanks, never knowing she lied through her teeth. It didn't help she hated herself for lying to their faces.

Swallowing, she hurriedly checked the time and thanked the gods to see it was time to leave.

"I gotta go," she said, standing. With the outfit she had to wear matching sandals. Her shoes wouldn't have been appropriate for the date. She fled to the door for a quick escape. From behind, Aerith and Yuffie shouted, "Good luck!" to her on the way out. She didn't reply as she closed the door on them.

"Damn it, damn it, _damn it!"_ Arty cursed, making her way over to the market plaza. She kept her fists balled to ensure they wouldn't mess up Aerith and Yuffie's hard work. But, it was difficult for her not to!

She hated the way she looked at the moment. It reminded her of too many things. For one she looked like those girls who tried too hard to look good for Arun. Those few girls who Arun took as his girlfriends often spent far too much time on their appearance. She heard Arun complain about how much time they wasted-time they could have used to have fun. And, whenever Arun broke up with them, they often insulted her own appearance. They stated he only liked ugly girls like her. She wouldn't admit it, but she hated being called ugly.

What person liked to be called ugly? No one decided. It warmed her heart knowing Arun defended her by saying she didn't need makeup or clothes to show off her beauty. He also said they were just hiding their own ugliness behind all that makeup.

Because of that comment, Arty felt like by dressing herself up it meant she was hiding the fact she was ugly. And after last year, she didn't like the thought she was hiding her misdeeds. Besides, she liked how she looked.

_Okay, Arty. After this date, you can take it off,_ she told herself as she began to climb the stairs to the market plaza. She didn't have to wear the clothes or the makeup for too long. She would take it off after her…date. _Oh, gods. I almost forgot about that._

Arty wished she forgot about that. She only looked like that because she was on a date with a guy!

She (unfortunately) reached the plaza at the top of the stairs. As usual, the plaza was empty. Because of the increase in Heartless and Nobodies, people were less inclined to venture outside their homes-her father included. If it weren't for the fact she was an active member of the Restoration Committee and the fact she could fight, her dad would have locked her in a tower just to keep her safe. Reaching where Huey, Dewey, and Louie's shops were, she found Malcolm there waiting for her.

Malcolm didn't see her yet, repeatedly checking his watch. This gave her a few seconds to compose herself.

_Well, this is it. Time to set some things straight._

Taking a deep breath to compose herself, Arty made her way to Malcolm to begin her date.

* * *

><p>xxx<p>

* * *

><p>"Ya know, I was almost sure you wouldn't come," Malcolm said. The two sat at their table and he decided to make conversation.<p>

"Well, I did promise to have lunch with you," Arty lightly laughed to hide her unease about the whole thing. She almost didn't go.

After Arty worked up the courage to meet with Malcolm, they made their way to the café on the other side of town. They had to cross the ruined town square to a café nestled between clothing stores. It was a nice enough place that had flowers planted in boxes just by the entrance. It had more of a homely appearance inside that reminded her of the ones back in Meryton but was a touch more sophisticated. Despite how it looked, it was a popular place. A good amount of people were seated around, servers moving around while the noise level was moderate.

"Yeah. You're not the type to break a promise. Then again, I never pegged you as girly, yet here you are." Once again, his brown eyes sweeped down her figure. He was still not used to her appearance. Ever since he laid eyes on her that day, he hadn't removed them. It made Arty uncomfortable.

"Aerith and Yuffie are the ones to blame for this. I normally avoid this kind of look," she said, tucking a loose lock of hair back in place.

"But, why? You look nice like that. I mean, not that you don't look nice in your regular clothes, either!" he added, flustered. "This side of you is just…new."

"I might look nice, but it's not me. Besides, I'd lose my reputation as one of the best engineers in this town if I dressed like this at work."

"True. Can't really fight Heartless in a dress."

"Oh, definitely! Leon would kill me for not wearing appropriate clothes in battle." She dropped her voice to mimic Leon's baritone. "_'Arty, we're in the middle of a crisis. You can't go out looking like you're going to party in these times._'"

Malcolm laughed.

"That _does_ sound like something Mr. Leonhart would say. You sound just like him."

"Since he scolds me on a daily basis, I know how to do it." Arty joined in on his laughter.

Now that they were talking like they usually did the tension in Arty's body ease slightly. If she ignored the fact this was a date, she would have thought this was just an outing between friends. She knew better because she saw the way he looked at her. It certainly wasn't how Arun or Caelum saw her.

Their waiter soon came and they ordered their food and drinks. Arty ordered some pasta dish while Malcolm got a steak. They chatted for a bit as they waited for their food. Malcolm told her about his work with the Moogles and how hard synthesizing was. She told him about the developments the Restoration Committee and how she and Cid argued over the silliest things.

When their food arrived Malcolm asked the question she was sure many townspeople wondered.

"Speaking of the committee members, I haven't seen Caelum around much lately," he mentioned as he cut his steak into bite sized pieces. "Where has he been? You two are usually stuck together like glue."

"Caelum? He's traveling the worlds right now." Arty twirled the long noodles around her force, ignoring the pang in her chest. It got like that whenever her best friends were mentioned.

His fork stopped halfway to his mouth, surprised.

"He's traveling? Without you?"

"Yup."

"Why? And why didn't you go with him?"

"He's gone out to look for something a friend of mine lost. I was needed here so I couldn't go with them." She didn't bother to add she would only get in the way again. She didn't want Arun to protect her all the time because she didn't want a repeat performance of last year. One time was enough.

"Oh. Your friend? What did he lose?" he pressed on, unknowingly asking difficult questions she didn't know how to answer.

"Just something very important to him."

"…Oh," Malcolm repeated again.

Silence settled between them from her curt answer. They ate their food, neither of them unsure how to continue. Arty hadn't meant to be so defensive. It was hard not to what with how the situation was. She still wasn't sure how to feel about Arun being in a different body.

The first time she saw Arun again she hated how someone had the nerve to pretend to be her best friend looking nothing like him. It reopened wounds she thought had closed. Then, when she saw him fight with a Keyblade against the Heartless she saw Arun in that scrawny blond haired boy. Every movement, every attack-it was like they were at school and Arun fought bullies with a plastic sword. It was Arun who came back to her. He may have had a different face and voice, but his actions alone proved he was her dear friend.

She was ecstatic to have him back, for sure. Yet, somehow, it still wasn't the same. Arty knew this was shallow, but he didn't _look_ like Arun. When thinking of Arun, she would think of a black spiky haired boy and golden eyes. She liked his gold eyes no matter what people said about them. Many, including her dad, said gold eyes were unnatural. Arty liked his eyes because they reminded her of someone who helped her a long time ago. With Arun the way he was now it was just strange.

Arty wanted _all_ of her best friend back, not a part of him. It was selfish of her, but it was how she felt.

"Arty?" Malcolm said, snapping her out of her thoughts. "Can I ask you a question?"

She examined Malcolm, hearing his hesitant murmur much like he acted the day before. He had his eyes on his empty plate and he scrapped his fork on it, moving the grease and sauce there. She noticed he never really looked her straight in the eyes. He was acting far too strange for her liking.

"Sure, what is it?" Arty asked, curiosity winning out as was her nature.

"Um…I was just wondering…Do you like Caelum? As a boyfriend, I mean."

In the first time in a long while Arty was stricken speechless. The question didn't even register until she repeated it in her head. Her face flushed when it hit her.

"M-Me? And C-Caelum? N-No! Gosh, Caelum's my friend! I don't like him like that!"

"Well, I just thought since you two were close like that I assumed…" Malcolm trailed off, his own face bright and sheepish.

"Caelum and I are friends." Arty was suddenly reminded of when she started middle school. A lot of people had seen her around Arun and Caelum, both of whom were older than her, and assumed she was together with one of them. Many times she had to assure them that wasn't the case. "I know it might seem like that, but we're nothing more than friends. Why do you ask?"

Tension seized his shoulders, the sudden shift in position worrying her. Oddly enough, he was relieved with her answer.

"That's good," he sighed. "I-I'm asking you because…The reason why I asked you out to lunch is because…" Malcolm took a deep breath and lifted his gaze to meet her own. There, she saw a determination to finish what he started. "I like you, Art. A lot. Ever since the first time I met you, I've liked you."

Arty stared at Malcolm. Rather than feeling embarrassed by the confession like she would have a year ago, Arty felt tired. Frustration bubbled from the pit of her stomach and up her throat. She was flattered Malcolm found her attractive enough in that way. But…

"I'm sorry, Malcolm," Arty forced herself to say. She despised herself when his hopefulness fell to one of rejection. "I don't feel the same way as you. You're a really good guy. It's not because I hate you. It's just…"

"I see." Malcolm smiled and laughed. It was forced all the way through. "You like someone else, don't you?"

"Ye-Huh?" She expected him to say she was too busy with everything to date anyone. _That_ wasn't what she had in mind.

"Yeah, you like someone else, right? Your other friend? When I asked what he lost earlier you got this look in your eye like you missed him. You like him."

"I-I don't-" Arty stuttered. What was she supposed to say to that? His level of observation astounded her. This was the second time someone suggested she liked Arun more than a friend. The fact it was mentioned embarrassed her more than anything. She looked down at her lap to avoid looking at anyone. Even more so when she remembered her conversation last year with someone else. "I-I don't know. Maybe?"

"Maybe? Does he know?"

"No. I haven't seen him for awhile. He only came back a month ago after…being away for a year."

"You should tell him. Trust me when I say this: there's nothing worse than liking someone and never telling them your feelings for them." He chuckled. "I considered not telling you, but I feel better now that I know how you feel."

"Even when I rejected you?" she asked, incredulous. Lifting her head, she saw he didn't seem as upset with the rejection as he initially was.

"Like I saw, at least I know instead of never knowing. It's not knowing that makes everything worse." Malcolm pushed back his chair and stood up. "Well, I gotta get going now. The Moogles weren't happy I asked for an extended lunch break. Heck, they only gave me fifteen minutes more than my usual break!"

"Um, yeah. I-I should get going, too." She needed to get back to her work before her brain short circuited from the information overload. She didn't know her exact feelings on the situation and it made her nauseous.

"Since I'm the one who asked you out, I'll pay for the meal."

"O-Okay."

Arty rose from her seat and scrambled towards the exit as Malcolm went to the cashier to pay for their food. Throwing a quick farewell to him over her shoulder, she exited the café and scrambled back to market square, wondering what the hell just happened.

* * *

><p>xxx<p>

* * *

><p>Unlike the walk to the café where she had Malcolm by her side, Arty went back to the market plaza by herself.<p>

She cursed at herself as she speed walked through the ruined square in the heart of the city. None of her surroundings registered in her mind, too busy with the thoughts whirling through. What Malcolm said got her thinking.

_Tell him my feelings, huh?_ What did that even mean? Malcolm said that she liked Arun as more than a friend, which was laughable to think about. She didn't think about Arun like that. He was her best friend! There was no way either of them held feelings for one another in _that_ way. None that she knew of, anyway.

"_People show their feelings to each other in different ways. You and your friend are…weird in how you display them,_" a voice from a distant memory said. Though it's been so long since she's heard that voice, it was crystal clear. She could still hear him laugh about how funny he found her reaction when he first mentioned her 'potential' feelings towards Arun. "_You're terrible at showing people how you really feel. It's not good to bottle up those feelings."_

"Yeah, and you never bottled up your feelings? Look how _that_ turned out," Arty muttered, ruefully to the memory. She always thought he had good advice until he gave her that. He was just as bad as her when it came to showing her friends how she really felt. Then, she remembered the aftermath of the memory and felt guilty for saying those words. She still missed him after what happened. She sighed. "But, really. I don't have any feelings for him. I just miss him a lot."

Was it a crime to miss the boy who sacrificed his life to save her's? After mourning for a while year, he came back to them and she barely had time to be with him when he had to leave again. Just because she missed him didn't mean she was in love with him. But, for some reason, everyone else seemed to think so.

_Ansem's right. The heart is confusing,_ Arty grumbled. She ruffled her hair in frustration. When her fingers snagged on her braid she unconsciously removed the ribbon to smooth her hair back out. She never thought she'd agree with that monster but she had to admit he was right about one thing: the heart was a fickle thing. How humans had to deal with ever changing emotions was something she would never understand. But, she did know one thing. _I'll always like Arun as a friend. No one can change my mind about that._

Even as she thought that, then why did it hurt?

Arty arrived back at the market plaza. Being in the middle of the day, there were quite a few people around. Well, more than recently was. This was the time the Restoration Committee started their afternoon patrols. Arty would have been apart of that, yet Yuffie nagged for Leon to give her a day off for her date. While she was annoyed about the time off, she was grateful for it now. After that disastrous date, she just wanted to go home and sleep.

Intent on that, she made her way over to the stairs. She was close to it and passed a refrigerator shaped shop when she saw a familiar figure standing in front of the store.

"Hi, Mr. McDuck!" Arty greeted the old while duck in front of the store.

Scrooge McDuck looked up from where he was pulling out a batch of ice cream from the freezer. His cane hung from the crook of his arm. Seeing her, he smiled.

"Ah, if it ain't Arty! How've you been, dearie?" he asked, calling her that affectionate nickname he called most of the female Restoration Committee members. "It's rare to see ya away from Merlin's house. Out about the town or did you go meet with a young lad?"

"It's nothing like that," Arty denied, flushing. It was easy to tell she was most likely out with a boy. It was common knowledge a girl like her wouldn't dress up unless it was for a guy. Just this once that was true. "I just had lunch with a friend, that's all."

Scrooge laughed heartily.

"It's okay to admit you've got someone special. Ah, the joys of youth! I'd give my entire vault to be young again so I could make quadruple the amount of money than I've got now! And maybe remember that darn recipe again!"

"Still trying to figure out your childhood ice cream?" For the past month he had attempted to recreate the ice cream from his past. He was still nowhere near figuring it out.

"Aye. I feel that I'm close, thought. I can feel it!" Scrooge popped out one of the ice cream pops from the container. He held it out to Arty. "D'ya want one, lass? It'd be a waste to just throw these away even if they are bad."

Arty hesitated. While she might like being offered free ice cream, she knew by experience Scrooge's ice cream wasn't very good. He always offered her some and she could never turn down the request. It was wasteful. In the end she agreed.

"Sure, why not? But, what are you going to do with the rest?"

"I'll have to eat them myself," Scrooge sighed. Even he didn't look like he wanted it.

"You could always give them away. Like to…" She glanced around to see if anyone she knew was around. It was to her luck she saw a familiar man leaning against a wall next to the shop. "Cloud!"

The swordsman dressed in black leather lifted his head from where he was brooding. Sky blue eyes looked at her questioningly. It took him a moment to recognize her and he sighed.

"Yes, Arty? What do you want?" he asked, reluctant to even speak to her.

"Aw, c'mon, Cloud. Don't be like that," Arty giggled. She took two ice cream pops from Scrooge. Then, she approached Cloud to hold out one of them as an offering. "Help us eat this ice cream? Mr. McDuck can't eat all of it by himself."

"What did you do to it?" Cloud asked. He eyed the strange purple ice pop apprehensively.

"I'm not the one who made it. I didn't do anything."

"Doesn't mean you didn't add anything."

"Just because I put pepper in your iced tea doesn't mean I'll mess with everything you consume." Arty was insulted by Cloud's accusation. Since he first arrived in Hollow Bastion a month ago, Cloud was hesitant around her. Especially when she accidentally spilled pepper into his tea that Cid made for him. It wasn't her fault Yuffie knocked her into the wall and the pepper fell into the glass! She waved the ice pop around. "Cloud, don't be mean! You'd let a poor old man finish _that_ much ice cream? That's bad for his health!"

He stared blankly at her. Arty decided to pout just like Aerith does when she tries to do with the spiky-haired man. She was often told she and Aerith could have been sisters because of how much their eyes looked. Though Arty's eyes were darker, the way they displayed innocence was the same. She wasn't sure if that was true and just accepted it. It must have worked, because he sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Give it," he ordered. Arty happily handed him the frozen treat. Cloud debated on something and reluctantly bit into it. He stilled, eyebrow subtly twitching.

Arty wondered why he had such a reaction and decided to see for herself. She took a corner bite of the treat. An explosion of flavor filled her mouth. It tasted like vanilla and…eggplants?

"The recipe is rather odd," Scrooge supplied upon seeing the discontent looks on their faces. "It has a combination of two contrasting flavors. I've been tryin' different ingredients to find the right one."

"I don't think eggplants are right with anything," Arty said, slowly chewing through the treat. Any faster and she'd get sick.

"Agreed," Cloud seconded. Unlike her, he tried to get through the treat as fast as he could. Probably to avoid tasting it. Neither could just throw away the ice cream. That would be just rude!

Scrooge slumped, shaking his head.

"I know. But I'm sure it's supposed to be sweet and something else! I just can't figure it out!"

"Don't worry, Mr. McDuck. I'm sure you'll figure it out soon," she reassured. She didn't like to see the duck look so down over a simple ice cream recipe. It didn't seem to fit how he usually acted. "Just give it some time. And when you figure it out let me and Cloud be the first to try it."

"Arty…" Cloud warned.

"Cloud, it's just ice cream. It's not like I'm asking you to go dress up as a girl to seduce a mafia boss." She glanced over her shoulder to see Cloud burn a glare at her. She grinned. "Aerith told me the story. She said she wished she had taken a picture back then. Apparently, you made quite the lady."

"_Arty…"_

"I'm actually wondering if that Sephiroth guy knows about that, Ms. Cloud." The sharp sound of a blade being drawn stopped Arty. Her smile faded when Cloud began to lift his giant hunk of metal that he called a blade from his back, a murderous gleam in his eyes. She gulped, slowly backing away. Scrooge moved back to his shop, not wanting to get involved "W-Wait a second, Cloud. I didn't mean to say that!"

"Then, why say it, Arty?" He held his huge sword at the ready. "I have one piece of advice for you." She was uneasy when he suddenly smirked. "Run."

"Cloud, I'm sorry!" Arty wailed. She spun on her heel and ran off to get away from him. She didn't make it very far when she ran into somebody. Caught off guard, she lost her balance and would have fallen had it not been for the person she bumped into.

Lean arms caught her by the shoulders before she hit the grown. Hands covered in fabric steadied her enough to see who caught her. At the dark, spiky hair the first thought that came to mind was _Arun!_ But, she soon saw bright blue eyes and her hopes (as well as her mood) sank.

"Arty, are you okay?" Sora asked, concern for her reaching her ears.

Realizing just who caught her, Arty shrugged off Sora's hands. She stepped away from him to see Donald and Goofy behind him. A smile lit her mood again.

"Hi, Donald, Goofy." She paused and gave Sora a nod without meeting his gaze. "…Sora. What brings you guys back in town?"

"Just checking up on everyone," Sora replied. Arty glimpsed at him for a second and saw he awkwardly look around. She wouldn't blame him. Because of how much she avoided him, they didn't have much to talk about. He cheered up when he spotted Cloud, who went back to his brooding upon successfully scaring Arty. "Oh, Cloud!"

He approached the man who had similar spiky hair, ignoring Arty as he passed. Donald and Goofy followed him, but shot Arty a worried smile. She returned it and shook her head. The mage and knight didn't say a word. Their loaded eyes spoke of how much they worried about them. She turned away to avoid them and made her way down the stairs to Merlin's house, ignoring the happy chatter Sora exchanged with Cloud.

The moment she no longer heard Sora she relaxed the tension in her shoulders.

_How did we get like this?_ Arty wistfully wondered. When did their encounters turn out as awkward exchanges? She knew it was her fault for refusing to speak a single word to Sora after their first conversation. But, even before the year they all forgot about Sora, Donald, and Goofy (she still wished she didn't remember at least Sora), Sora tried his best to talk to her. He wanted to be her friend. Arty didn't know if she wanted that, especially when Sora seemed to have given up on trying. _I wish I could apologize. But…I don't know if I can._

Apologizing to Sora was something she wasn't looking forward to. She knew she had to. Everyone told her she was being immature for acting that way to Sora. She couldn't help it! How could she be civil with Sora when he reminded her of her guilt? Could anyone blame her for despising someone who looked like Arun yet it wasn't him? Now that Arun was back she knew she had to apologize to Sora no matter how much she didn't want to.

"When did life get so complicated?" she wondered. Life back in Meryton was never like this. Oh, she never regretted moving to Hollow Bastion, but she missed the simple, peaceful days where she spent time with her friends. Days where the worst thing she had to worry about were fights breaking out between Arun and Caelum. Now she had all these people who were her friends, but brought out a whole different level of danger. She didn't even get to act like a teenager anymore. She heaved a sigh. "Why can't things ever be simple?"

Arty walked the rest of the way to Merlin's house in silence. She went down the empty streets where there was the occasional Heartless or Nobody. The defense system took care of them, so she didn't really need to worry. Before she knew it, she was at Merlin's door.

Opening the door, she stepped inside. Everything was exactly as she left it two hours ago. The only ones in the house were Yuffie and Cid. The older engineer was at the computer, tapping away at something. When she came in Yuffie turned her head and spotted her.

"You're back already? What happened on your date?" the self-proclaimed great ninja asked excitedly.

"Nothing happened," Arty replied. She stepped over to Cid and glanced over his shoulder. Hm, it looked like he was planning on making new upgrades to the defense system again. Ever since they found the wealth of knowledge in Ansem's computer room, both engineers used that information to make upgrades all over town. Though, Arty had to admit she used most of the info on her own personal project.

"What do you mean nothing happened?" Yuffie grabbed her shoulders and shook her. "Give me something more, Arty! There must've been something! Did you guys hold hands? Did you make gooey eyes at each other? Did you _kiss?"_

"Yuffie! Nothing happened." Arty smacked away the ninja's hands. She moved to grab her clothes on Merlin's bed to put distance between them and, hopefully, end the conversation. "If you must know, Malcolm did confess he liked me more than a friend."

Neither Cid or Arty expected Yuffie to squeal. They both cringed at the sound. Then, Arty suddenly found a small teenaged girl latched to her arm.

"And? And? Are you dating now?" she demanded in fervor.

"No, we're not! I told him I didn't like him like that. We're still friends."

She visibly slouched in disappointment and frowned.

"Why'd you go and tell him that? Don't you want a boyfriend?"

"In these times? No way!"

"That's exactly why you need a boyfriend! You need a normal life outside all of this work stress."

Arty snorted, heading over to the changing screen next to Merlin's bed. Despite being the old wizard's home, Merlin conjured up a changing screen for them to use. They often returned to his his home with clothes either torn, bloodied, or covered in mud. So, they were thankful for the change to change with some semblance of privacy. She began to strip off her clothes as she spoke.

"What normal life? I'm a girl living in a town filled with creatures that already killed my best friend once. What part of that is 'normal'?"

"She's got a point," Cid agreed, his voice gruff. He must have smoked again. His voice only got like that when he smoke a few cigarettes. "There ain't no time for romance. No one's gonna want to be smoochin' when Heartless and Nobodies are prowlin' around."

"Eloquently put, Cid."

"But-But-" Yuffie groaned in frustration just as the door opened. It reached Arty's ears when she pulled on her black leggings and her shorts. "Sora! Don't you think Arty should have a boyfriend?"

Arty froze, her face warming to a flush. It heated up considerably at the spluttering that followed.

"H-Huh? Wh-Why do you ask that?" Sora asked. He sounded as flustered as she felt.

"Because she just had a guy confess his feelings for her and she _rejected _him! And all because she's too 'busy.' Can you believe that?"

"Is that why she was dressed up like that?" Donald snickered and Arty felt the urge to shoothim. She always did like roasted duck.

"Yeah! Can you believe she looked _that_ good but won't let guys appreciate it?"

"Isn't that because she likes Arun?" Sora innocently asked.

Silence fell through the room. Arty paused just as she was pulling on her shirt. It became awkward to the point she didn't know what to say. Did Sora just say…?

"Where in the hell did you come up with that?" Cid demanded in utter disbelief.

"It's true, isn't it? It's why she hates me. I look too much like the one she likes. It makes sense when you think about it."

Goofy giggled.

"Gawrsh, Sora. You really put some thought into this."

"Who knew?" Donald laughed.

"Hey!" Sora yelled.

"That _does_ make sense," Yuffie hummed. "After all she did just for Arun, she probably likes him. After he came back, she smiles a lot more. Especially when she talks about him."

Arty glared through the screen where she was sure Yuffie was. They were talking about her like she wasn't even there. Yuffie was so going to get it as soon as Sora, Donald, and Goofy were gone.

As if sensing her glare, Yuffie said, "Anyway, you'll never guess what we found! We found Ansem's computer and his research!"

"Really?" Sora readily jumped on the topic change. He didn't seem comfortable talking about Arty either. He probably didn't know she was in the same room.

As the rest of the room began to talk about Ansem's computer and Leon's current location, Arty finished changing. Her thoughts flew everywhere. How could Sora even mention she liked Arun? This was the second time that day! Was this just a coincidence?

_I don't like Arun! _she wanted to shout at all of them. They were just friends. FRIENDS! A completely platonic relationship! Just because she didn't want a boyfriend didn't mean she was actually in love with Arun! Or even Caelum for that matter. Arun and Caelum were _her boys._ They were her best friends and protectors. They were her _family._ She didn't want to lose either of them and she was certain a romantic relationship would do just that.

Her friends mattered more than whatever feelings of romance she had for them (if they existed in the first place).

Arty adamantly denied these in her thoughts, automatically zipping up the rest of her grey and white shirt all the way to let the collar cling tightly around her neck. Pulling on her leather armguard on her left arm where it stopped just before her wrist, the door opened and closed. Fixing her hair and readjusting her sun pins to keep her fringe from her eyes, she stepped out from behind the screen carrying her calve length black booths that held her black knee high socks in them.

"So, Sora's heading over to Ansem's office?" she asked, looking towards Yuffie and Cid.

"Yup! I think he wants to find out more about where Riku is," Yuffied said, shifting from one foot to another.

Arty winced at the name. It was still hard for her to hear that name.

"Oh. I should probably head over there, too. I have a feeling Sora might abuse the computer somehow."

"Of course you don't want anyone messin' with your baby!" Cid barked in laughter. She slapped his knee in his joy. "Ever since you found that thing, ya won't let anyone touch it! I swear you're in love with that thing."

Arty stuck out her tongue. She didn't care what Cid said. Ansem's computer was the most beautiful piece of technology she's ever laid eyes on. Could Cid blame her if she loved that thing more than necessary?

"Speaking of being in love," Yuffie began casually, "is what Sora said true? You're in love with Arun?"

"No," Arty automatically denied. "And before you say anything, I'm not in denial. Arun's my friend, I love him only in a familial way, and Sora is wrong. I'm not in love with Arun or Caelum or any boy for that matter."

Yuffie pouted and folded her arms.

"I don't believe you for a second, you know."

"I don't expect you to." She honestly didn't care what Yuffie thought. That hyperactive ninja could do whatever she wanted. At the moment she was far too irritated with everything. The date, Sora, and now this? Light, she just wanted to work! Huffing, she headed for the door. "I'm going over there now. Don't wait up."

She didn't wait for any confirmation they heard her. With her shoes still in hand she headed for the door and opened it only to bump into a hard chest. Yet again, a pair of arms caught her. A flast of irritation filled her. If this was someone who was annoying, she was going to seriously-

"Whoa, Arty. Did someone switch your coffee to decaf or something?" a boyish voice teased.

Arty glanced up to see Arun grin down at her. Though his face was unfamiliar, the warmth in his blue eyes spoke the truth. This was the Arun she knew and loved.

"Arun!" As she threw her arms around his neck, she vaguely noted the fluttering in her stomach.

If anyone asked, Arty would never acknowledge what that feeling was. It was something she secretly treasured when around was around. And nothing could ever change that.

Never.

* * *

><p>XXX<p>

* * *

><p><strong>So people have been asking me for a chapter in Arty's point of view. I know you guys wanted me to do the story about the events during the first <em>Kingdom Hearts<em> game, but I still haven't reached the part where it's mentioned in the main story. So for now you have to settle for a day in Arty's life. This takes place just before Arun and company arrive back in Hollow Bastion in chapter 31 of the main story. Please tell me how I did characterizing some of the characters. Did I keep Cloud, Yuffie, and Cid in character? Please tell me if I did or didn't and what I could do to improve. I rather like being faithful to their characters as much as I possibly can.**

**Please review!**


	4. A Deal with a Witch

Guilt. Noun.

_The act of having committed a specified or implied offense or crime._

Arty understood the textbook definition of what guilt was, though she didn't _know_ what guilt was. Oh, yes, she knew what it was when she stole cookies from under her father's nose when she was younger and a slightly more difficult version of guilt when she helped Arun cheat on a final exam. Those were instances in which she wanted to take back what she did, but was forced to put it behind her. But, she felt more than understood what guilt truly was when she lost one of the most precious things that mattered to her.

Arun…One of her best friends who wanted nothing more than to make friends. A boy who didn't desire to be alone anymore when he forced himself to stay away from others in fear of being hurt beyond measure. The one she considered one of her precious people…He was dead. He died saving her from that strange black creature known as a Heartless and it was all her fault.

When she saw his body vanished in a swirl of darkness and a purple-red heart shattered before her Arty didn't know what to do. That night felt like nothing more than a dream. Her entire world sank into darkness as its very heart was eaten by the Heartless. Arty couldn't understand why, but when her world went dark she awoke in a strange place called Traverse Town lying next to Caelum. That was one of the small blessings that came out of their tragedy. She didn't lose her last precious friend. Otherwise, she wouldn't be able to be alive anymore. Her father was one thing, but to lose Arun…If Caelum were lost, she didn't think she'd be able to smile anymore.

Though Arty was safe and sound and Caelum was well, that didn't stop guilt from eating away at her. She made a promise to Arun she would never leave him alone in the dark ever again. When they first met Arun was a vulnerable boy who didn't want to be alone anymore. He wanted people to see him, to acknowledge him, but he didn't want to get hurt. He didn't want to let people in to break him even further. It was a chore to get him to open up to her and it made her feel special when he did. She didn't want to lose him to the darkness again. Unfortunately, she did.

Life went on after their rather tragic arrival in Traverse Town. Arty was forced to push all thoughts of Arun to the back of her mind where a part of her held onto her memories and cried in a small ball of misery. She had to adapt to their new lifestyle with their new friends (whom Arty was forever grateful for. Without them, she wasn't sure how long she and Caelum would last in this new world), forgetting all of the heartbreak she experienced in a single night.

But, sometimes, her heart would bring up the memory of the night in her dreams where she was forced to witness the light in Arun's eyes-those golden eyes she came to find entrancing rather than 'soulless' as Caelum would say-fade away until there was nothing left over and over again. She'd wake with tears in her eyes while begging for Arun to come back and not leave her. Arty would bury her head under her pillow to stop her tears while silently blaming herself.

If she wasn't so weak, Arun would be there. If she hadn't hesitated, Arun's heart wouldn't have been eaten and banished to the darkness like he feared so many times. It was all her fault. Then, she'd scramble out of bed and head to the Gummi ship garage to go work on orders for customers. Though people feared the Heartless, they still used Gummi ships to travel between worlds and hopefully find one to settle down in. It was nice to see people still had hope of finding a new life. She wished she was that strong herself.

Arty appreciated this new life for what it was despite her yearnings for those she loved. She did her best to live her life as if she never lost her world for the sake of not worrying Caelum. He was so worried about her days after their home disappeared. She managed to show him she was fine (even though she wasn't) and held up the illusion she was. It was going great and there was not a single crack in her mask.

That all changed when she met Sora.

The day she met Sora she was working on a Gummi ship she helped repair. Cid, the Gummi ship engineer in town, taught her everything there was to learn about Gummi ships. The first time she heard there were ships that could travel between worlds Arty became entranced. The way small colorful blocks could be put together like pieces of an elaborate puzzle amazed her to no end. She had so many questions about Gummi blocks (why were they called Gummi blocks? What kind of material were they made out of? Were they natural or artificially made?) and her enthusiasm prompted Cid to take her under his wing despite his complaints she was a disrespectful brat.

She sat in the Gummi garage going through a catalogue of known Gummi blocks Cid had. For the ship she was working on she needed a specific piece in order to repair it. The garage was more like a tiny warehouse wedged between two shops in the Second District of the town. It was large enough to fit more than two cars but small enough to house a small plane. In the center of the room was a yellow and green Gummi ship that only had the basic skeleton required. Around the room were the necessary tools needed to move blocks around, carry them, and put them in place. It was also messy because of how many blocks and tools were lying around in range for her to use.

Arty sat on the ground with the catalogue in her lap, eyes zooming across the pictures on the pages to find the part she needed. She was so engrossed she hadn't noticed someone snuck up behind her. A small tap on her head startled her. Lifting her eyes, she gave an instant smile.

"Caelum! What are you doing here?" Arty asked her only living best friend.

"Leon sent me to get you," said Caelum, smiling. "Apparently, he thinks it will be a good break for you to meet the Keyblade master."

"The one everyone's going on about?"

"The very one. They said he's back on this world again to get their Gummi Ship modified. You want to go?"

Arty contemplated the idea. Ever since they arrived, all Yuffie and the gang could talk about was the Keyblade Master. She and Caelum were told that the Keyblade was a legendary weapon. It had the power to unlock virtually anything and everything, including the keyholes that led to a world's heart. If the Keyblade locked the keyhole, then that world was save from the Heartless. It was the only thing that could destroy the Heartless. The only catch to such a fantastic weapon was the fact it chose its wielder, not the other way around. Leon wanted the Keyblade and hoped to be chosen except it was given to a fourteen year old boy named Sora.

Now this Sora was traveling with two other companions, who were in search of their king, through other worlds saving them from the Heartless.

Of course, Arty was intrigued by the idea of the Keyblade. Could it really open anything? What made people qualified to wield a Keyblade? How did keyholes appear? She had multiple questions and itched to get her hands on it. Maybe this was the perfect opportunity to get it?

"Sure, why not? Let me finish up here."

"Alright. Just don't take too long."

"I won't."

Caelum went off to the side while she got up and scurried to finish her work. She was buzzing with excitement to go meet the one everyone thought was the new 'savior of worlds.' What kind of person was he? Was he skilled enough to wield a Keyblade? Arty had to wonder if he was like those heroes in old fairytales. The prince who would save a kingdom and win a princess' heart-was he like that?

Arty would have to just find out.

* * *

><p>xxx<p>

* * *

><p>They walked through the Second District towards the Third District in amiable silence. The Second District was where most of the Heartless activity happened, so they were both cautious when they passed through. If the door that connected the Third District to the First District was open, they wouldn't need to deal with the Heartless. As it was, Caelum walked closely to Arty to protect her in case any of the dark creatures appeared.<p>

Soon, they reached the Third District where their home was located straight ahead from the entrance. The lights were on, which suggested everyone was there.

Arty was the first to walk into the house she and Caelum lived in. Originally, it was an empty place for rent. Then, when Cid and the others took them in, they chipped in to rent out the place for them. Pity for the two teens was what motivated them to do so. Arty disliked the pity, but said nothing. It wasn't as if she had the money to provide for them yet. The only thing that stopped her from saying anything was that the house was also a meeting place for Squall Leonhart (or Leon as he liked to be called) and his friends.

Walking through the door, she saw Leon leaning against the wall. She was ready to greet him in his brooding glory, yet got distracted. Something out of the corner of her eye stopped her. Shifting her head, all the breath was knocked out of her in a single audible gasp.

There, standing by the dresser next to a duck in blue and a dog in green, was Arun.

Before Arty knew what she was doing, she crossed the room and threw her arms around Arun. She hugged him tightly as tears sprung in her eyes.

"You're okay! You're okay!" she hiccupped. Her smile was so big it could have brightened the room on its own. "I-I thought you were-I saw you get-"

It was almost impossible for her to speak coherently, but who cared! Arun was back! He was alive and there, not a corpse or a Heartless! He was there in flesh and blood!

For that glorious moment all of Arty's guilt faded into a sea of relief. She had her best friend back again. Then, like a sudden typhoon, it was swept away when Arun spoke.

"Um, Leon? Who is this?" Arty tensed. Expecting to hear a baritone filled with mock disgust at the hug, it was a high and childish one. It was almost the same as Arun's voice before it cracked to its current deep one. That, and it was far too lighthearted than she's ever heard it.

Just as fast as she hugged 'Arun' she ripped herself away at an arm's length to really look at who she was hugging.

The person before her, at first glance, looked like Arun. He had the heart-shaped face, the spiky hair that never seemed to stay flat, and those big eyes that could either be expressive or guarded.

That's where the similarities ended.

This boy (as she realized he was as tall as her) had chocolate colored hair and eyes as deep as the sky. His clothes were a multitude of colors Arun would never wear. Don't even get her started on his shoes! He was also smiling in confusion. That was enough to tell her this wasn't Arun. He'd never smile like that.

She backed away in a flash.

"This is Arty," said Yuffie, jumping from out of nowhere. "The guy over there is Caelum. I never thought you were a hugging type, Arty."

"Not usually." Arty swallowed the lump in her throat. "I'm-I'm sorry. I thought you were someone else. I didn't mean to scare you like that."

"It's okay," the boy said, scratching the back of his head. It made the lump worse. "My name's Sora. This is Donald and Goofy. It's nice to meet you!"

The duck and dog gave out their own greetings with friendly smiles on her faces. Arty couldn't take her eyes off of Sora, so she missed it.

"You're Sora?" Caelum asked, surprised. "My name is Caelum. We've heard a lot about you from Leon, Cid, Yuffie, and Aerith."

Sora nodded.

"Have you guys been here long? I don't think I saw you the last time we were here."

"No, not long. We just got here recently when our world was taken by the Heartless."

His smile faded.

"Oh, you, too, huh? I'm sorry. How have you been settling in?"

"It's been a trial," Caelum admitted. He waved to the others in the room. "We had a hard time coming to terms with what happened, but Leon, Cid, Yuffie, and Aerith have been a big help. They helped take our mind off what happened."

"I understand. Donald and Goofy have been the same with me" Sora laughed. "When we first met they told me that being sad wasn't allowed. They've really helped me. If you guys need any more help, I'll be happy to give it."

Hearing this was the last straw for Arty. She couldn't bear to hear that. She whirled around and dashed out of the house. Behind her, she heard the call of her friends, but she ignored them. Tears began to stream down from her eyes.

Arty all but ran towards and down the stairs while she wiped at the tears that streaked down her cheeks. She couldn't hold them back anymore. Not after she met Sora.

Ever since she found out Arun was lost to the darkness, she tried not to cry. Arun never liked it when she cried because of him.

"_You're showing weakness_," he'd often say. "_How can you say you're a strong person if you let something as pathetic as an insult get to you?_"

She knew he didn't actually mean any of those words. He had a hard time expressing apologies. But, she did try her best to not cry around him. She didn't want to be made fun of because of tears.

So, Arty repressed her tears as best as she could. She didn't want Caelum to notice the guilt that bore down on her. If it weren't for her weak self, Arun would have never tried to protect her from that Heartless. He _died _because she was too weak to fight.

Honestly, she was amazed she managed to keep her tears at bay. It amazed her how she could find the will to smile when working on Gummi ships when she lost everything. Well, not everything. Caelum was still there for her and that would have been enough except...she wanted both her boys there. She wanted to hear Caelum and Arun bicker over the silliest thing. She always hated it when they fought but now all she could think was how she missed that. She'd put up with their fights if only she had Arun back.

She let none of her wishes and misery be said out loud. Arty kept it all bottled up so Caelum wouldn't worry. She thought she could keep it up.

But, Sora ruined it for her.

Was there some god that loved to torture her? She had the name of a goddess, yes, but this was too much. Arty got to see someone who looked almost identical to Arun and the west part was he _wasn't_ Arun. She expected him to scowl and call her a wrench head in good nature. What she got instead was a goofy naive fourteen year old who was so happy with life even though he lost his world. She didn't want that! She wanted Arun back!

She reached the bottom of the stairs, momentarily closing her eyes that started to itch. She moved forward still and hit something hard.

As gravity dictated, the one with the lesser mass would inevitably fall back. In this case it was Arty. She stumbled backwards with an apology on her tongue.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry!" she sobbed. Still affected by the sight of Sora, she couldn't stop her voice from cracking.

Instead of hearing the normal response of, "_It's okay_," she received a different one.

"Are you okay?"

Arty opened her eyes, wiping the tears blurring her vision. At first she made out a blob of silver and yellow in the light of the neon signs around them. Once she wiped away her tears, she found the blob was actually a silver haired teen dressed in a yellow and black muscle shirt and navy blue pants. His aqua eyes looked down at her, slightly irritated but curious.

"I'm, ah, fine," Arty lied. No, she wasn't fine! She just met someone who wanted to remind her of her guilt.

"It doesn't sound like it," said the teen, unconvinced.

"Well, I am! Why wouldn't I be? I mean, it's not like I just got reminded I'm never going to see my best friend ever again and it's all my fault!"

The boy cocked an eyebrow. "You shouldn't take your anger out on people you've never met."

Her anger faded. "I'm sorry. I-I've had a rough day. I'm not used to meeting doppelgangers of my friend. And he turns out to be a chipper spiky haired boy. Excuse me."

She was too emotionally drained to deal with anyone. All she wanted to do was go back to the Gummi shop to go finish her work. Perhaps even start a new project. Anything to stop her emotions from wreaking havoc on her.

She turned to leave.

"Wait a second." Arty was stopped as her wrist was caught in a grip. She glanced over her shoulder. The boy gazed at her intensely. "You mentioned a chipper spiky haired boy. Do you mean Sora?"

"You know Sora?" she asked, surprised.

"We're...friends."

Arty found herself skeptical. For someone who said he was friends with Sora he didn't sound very excited by that fact.

"I don't know how you can be friends with a guy like him. He's annoyingly happy all the time. He acted like we were friends and he's only known us for ten minutes," she exploded. She needed to say it to someone. She didn't care if the person she was telling was friends with Sora. The turmoil she was going through was going to explode if she didn't. "I mean, who instantly trusts people like that? Doesn't he know that everyone he meets might not be nice? He's a little kid!"

"Yeah, I guess. What'd Sora do to you? You just met him, right?"

"He exists, that's why."

Arty slapped her mouth, astonished. She didn't mean to say something like that! But, a part of her wasn't sorry. On some level she resented the fact Sora existed while _he _didn't. It was unbelievable. She hated someone because he reminded her of her friend.

What was happening to her?

"Wow, isn't that a bit harsh for someone you just met?" the boy questioned. He was taken back as well.

"I-I-" Yet again, the damn tears threatened to spill. Arty was unable to stop a few from leaking. She didn't want to hate Sora. It was so easy to all things considered. "I don't like how he reminds me of my friend."

"How?"

She shook her head. Anymore and she was going to crumble. This upset the boy.

"Look, Sora's my friend. I'd like to know why a random girl hates him. Is that too much to ask?"

"Yes. It is," she whispered. She wiped away her tears and sighed. "If you really want to know, I'll tell you. Before I do, mind telling me your name? Mine is Arty."

"I'm Riku." His lips twitched. "Isn't Arty a guy's name?"

"Aren't you too girly looking to be a boy?" she shot back, silently unsure of her retort. Spending years with boys who fought on a daily basis resulted in her picking up some retorts. They were often mean remarks, so she wasn't sure how the boy would feel.

Riku's grin widened.

"That the best you got? 'Cause I've heard it all before."

"Oh. Then, you must be really gender confused to not accept the fact you were meant to be a girl."

"Alright, smart mouth. Let's go find a spot where we can talk. I don't feel comfortable talking here in the open." He gestured to the open square. It was easy for them to get surrounded by Heartless if they let their guard down.

Arty agreed. She didn't want Caelum to see her talking to a stranger. Lately, he was much more overprotective over who she met. She chalked it up to him not wanting to lose her, too.

So she led Riku through the double doors that opened back to the First District. The square there was slightly empty, some of the residents lingering in small groups or heading home. They were all afraid of the Heartless attacking (though they never attacked the First District in the first place). She took him over to the cafe next to Huey, Dewey, and Louie's shop where she grabbed two ice cream bars. Then, she headed for the Second District.

"I like eating on the roof of the Gizmo Shop," Arty told Riku when he quirked an eyebrow.

They went through the Second District cautiously. Arty gained a new fear for Heartless after all that had happened. Most times she avoided going into the Second District by herself. She had to always have Caelum or the others to come with her. With Riku she felt herself safe enough.

Reaching the shop, they entered and made their way to the back door. Out there she climbed the ladder, then walked over to the edge that overlooked the square. Her legs dangled in the air, a light breeze rustling her hair. Beside her, Riku settled himself .

"You know, there's something about being higher up and looking down on everything that makes me appreciate what I have," Arty casually commented. She picked out an ice cream bar to hand to Riku.

"Oh? How so?"

"On the ground it's hard to relate to people. You can see they're just like you but you can't help but think you've got it worse. Up above you can look down on people and see they're like you. They've got problems that might be worse than your own." She licked her ice cream bar, staring at the mural by the First District door. "I always come up here whenever I feel down. That seems to be a lot lately."

"Why are you so down all the time?" Riku asked, nibbling on a corner of his ice cream. His head was down but his eyes glanced at her out of the corners.

"The same reason why I'm here in Traverse Town. I lost my world."

"...Oh. If it makes you feel better, I lost my world, too."

"Everyone here has lost their world," she reminded him. "We're all trying to move on even though it's painful. But I can't...I don't know if I can. Sora appearing just made it worse."

"Why?"

"He reminds me of what I lost." In more ways than one. She swallowed the last of her treat, staring down at the barren stick. Without its treat it lost its purpose. Somehow, she found it pretty sad. "I had a friend who looked like Sora. He was two years older than me but was one of my best friends. The night I lost my world I was attacked by a Heartless and he-He pushed me away when it attacked and-"

She couldn't force the word out. It was a heavy weight on her tongue. No matter what she did she'd never be able to say it.

"I see…" And Riku did. The slight empathy in the tenors of his words spoke volumes. He sighed, lowering his half-eaten ice cream. "Sora and I have another friend, Kairi. The three of us lived on an island where nothing ever happened. We built a raft to see other worlds. The night we were supposed to leave our world was taken by the Heartless. Sora ended up here, I ended up in another place, and Kairi…I don't know where she is."

"You think she's okay?"

"I hope so. It seems like I'm the only one who cares about her. Sora's been slacking off again. He's found a new group of friends and traveling while I'm looking for Kairi."

Arty frowned. Something about the way Riku spoke about Sora was off. He said they were friends. Was it normal for friends to speak as if he broke a special toy of his? Her own friends rarely got along and she thought it normal for them. Did it apply to others as well?

_Kind of reminds me of when Caelum found out I made a new friend,_ she compared. Caelum was her only friend for the longest time. When she made friends with _him_ he was aggressive and standoffish. She confronted him about it and Caelum admitted he was jealous. He didn't like the idea of someone replacing his spot as her best friend. She had to assure him they could both be her best friends.

Then, Arty suddenly understood.

"Are you jealous of Sora's new friends?" she wondered.

Riku blinked at her as if she grew tentacles and declared she would destroy the world.

"Jealous? Of _them?_" he scoffed. "Yeah, right. I'm not jealous. I'm worried about Kairi."

"I'm not saying you're not. But considering you didn't go talk to him and went with a girl you just met tells me you're jealous."

He didn't say anything, yet his blush told her everything. _Bingo._

"It's alright if you don't like his new friends. I don't like Sora, so…"

_I won't judge,_ was what went unsaid. Arty was a firm believer in never taking side based on initial explanations. She thought everyone should be given the opportunity to speak, so she never judged. Riku had his reasons; she had her's.

They sat on the rooftop, the conversations dying away. It was one of the many quiet nights Arty had become accustomed to. The one thing she grew to love about Traverse Town was that no matter how many lights were on it was possible to see the night sky. She was still able to take comfort in the fact the stars were always there as they should be. They may have dotted a different sky, but they were still there.

She reminisced on the nights she'd look at the night sky for hours when Riku said, "I can't help but wonder if waiting for Sora was worth it."

"Worth what?" Arty asked. She tilted her head, glimpsing at Riku. His shoulders were slightly hunched as if he no longer carried cool confidence. The popsicle stick was held in his hand in a way one would hold a sword.

"I built the raft all on my own while Sora slacked off. Kairi was in charge of provisions and was the only one who could make him work. I was the only one serious about it. Sora was going along with it because I was doing it. If I left on the raft with Kairi, maybe she wouldn't be missing."

"That's a big 'if,'" Arty said. "You shouldn't think like that. You'll drive yourself crazy."

"Oh, yeah? How would you know?"

"What if I didn't hesitate?" Her mouth ran off without a thought. After the first question, it was a release to all the things she held back on. "What if we took a different route to Caelum's house? What if I had moved out of the way? Would he still be here? Would I have been the one to go?"

All the possibilities and she wasn't sure how the outcome might have happened. That's all they were-possibilities. She wasn't sure what could have happened. It killed her on the inside to know there were thousands of things she could have done. Yet, in the end, it was the worst possible one.

"You blame yourself for what happened," said Riku, knowingly. He didn't have to ask.

"Every single day. I-I just wish I could've done something. I wish there was a way to bring him back. After seeing Sora, I'd do anything if I could see him again."

"Perhaps there is a way for you to see him."

Arty was too distracted to notice a third presence in the room until they spoke. She nearly fell out of her seat had Riku not grabbed her shoulder. Both whipped their heads behind them.

There stood a woman swathed in a black robe-like outfit that had a purple trim. She was tall, her face long and lovely like someone out of a noble court. She had two horns on her head (maybe a headdress?) and in one hand she gripped a long staff topped by a green orb.

"What are you doing here?" Riku demanded. "Were you eavesdropping on us?"

"I couldn't help but overhear your conversation," said the woman, slow and deliberate. Arty was given the impression the woman thought herself superior in every way. "You said you wished to bring your friend back?"

"Riku, do you know her?" Arty whispered, ignoring how the woman addressed her. The way he spoke to her made her feel like they knew each other.

Riku said nothing. His hand tightened on her shoulder. She didn't have the heart to tell him he was hurting her.

"Where are my manners? My name is Maleficent," the woman introduced. "And you are, my dear child?"

"This is Arty. She's just a girl I met," Riku answered. He turned to Arty. "Yes, I do know her. She's the one who got me off that world I ended up in when my home disappeared."

"Oh. I'm sorry, but was there something you wanted?" Arty asked Maleficent.

"The question you should be asking is there something _you_ wanted? Both of you have lost someone dear to you. If there was a way to bring them back, would you take it?"

"I would, but that's…"

"Impossible? I think not," she said, finishing her thought. She smiled. "You see, I practice magic. Anything is possible-including bringing back those who are lost in the darkness."

"You can do that?" Arty was a bit of a skeptic in terms of magic. She thought herself to be a logical person and maybe a bit of an idealist. While it was true she believed in other worlds, she thought science to be the salutation to travel. The Gummi Ship system supported her idea of that. Magic was the concept of stories. It didn't exist.

"Why, of course! I am well-versed in the dark arts. I would be more than happy to bring back your dear friend. I shall even find your missing friend as well, Riku."

Arty hesitated on agreeing. It was her first reaction when hearing this. There was a way to bring Arun back! It was the whispers of her childhood that stopped her.

Maleficent was the book definition of a witch who tempted little kids to do bad things. The sweet smile, her magic-it all screamed, '_WITCH!' _Stories were always told about avoiding strange women with promises. Was it her fault she was a bit hesitant?

Riku eyed Maleficent. It was easy to see he didn't trust her. "What's the catch?"

"Catch? What do you want from us? What, you offer us what we want out of the goodness of your heart?" He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, sure. Like we'd believe that."

"You bring up an exceptional point." Arty cringed at her belittling. It reminded her of teachers who thought teenagers were idiots due to hormonal imbalance. "You are correct. My assistance comes at a cost. I will bring you your loved ones in exchange for a…job opportunity."

"Job? You want us to work for you?" asked Arty, astonished. "What would someone with magic need help from two kids? I'm not old enough to be paid yet."

"Tell me. Do you know about keyholes and the hearts of worlds?" she suddenly quizzed.

"Just the bare bones. Like how the keyhole is the last defense to a world's heart. If you find the keyhole and lock it, your world is basically safe from the Heartless."

Riku gave her a sideways glanced, confused by how she would know that. Her cheeks went hot and she shrugged. He sighed and muttered something like, "…bookworm…get enough…Selphie…"

"Correct," Maleficent praised. She stroked the crystal ball on her staff, smiling in a please manner. "The world's keyhole safe guards the heart that holds a light brighter than anything. Such a treasure is meant to be protected. However, there are times when a keyhole is left incomplete. Certain…elements are required before it can be made whole to properly guard the light. The world I occupy at present time is such a world.

"The reason I am telling you this is because I would like it if you helped me complete the keyhole."

"Us?" Arty pointed at herself. She blinked stupidly. "Why would you need us?"

"Because, Arty, I have heard of your technical prowess. I heard you have a gift for building machines. The keyhole on my world requires a touch only you could provide."

"And me? Why would you need my help? You didn't exactly explain this to me before when we first met," Riku challenged. He folded his arms across his chest. "Because I doubt you'd want my help when you've already got someone as smart as her around."

Arty got the oddest feeling as Maleficent set her piercing gaze on Riku. She wanted to grab his hand and drag him far away from there. There was something so unkind about the witch she was unsure if those smiles were real or not.

She chalked that up to paranoia and ignored the feeling.

"I sense great power within you," said Maleficent. "I imagine you could realize your potential if you were to be taken under my wing. Do you not agree?"

"Tch. What do you have that I can't learn on my own?"

"The power to protect your Kairi is not enough?" Riku stiffened. "Your fried, Sora, is unwilling to go search for your dear friend. Should you not gain the strength to protect her all on your own?"

"What," he said, slowly, "are you talking about?"

"I see you do not believe me. Perhaps you would prefer to see the truth for yourself?"

Maleficent swept her staff to the side. To both their astonishment a dark swirling mass of blackness appeared. The woman stepped into the swirling mass and melted into it, disappearing. They knew they had to follow her but…

Arty had her reserves about the whole thing. What were the chances of a woman like Maleficent offering to bring their friends to them in exchange for their skills? It all seemed pretty fishy to her. Her dad always said to be wary of strangers.

"_You never know if they've got some ulterior motive,"_ he'd say as each ship from other towns stopped at their harbor. He taught her to never be too trusting. Her gut also told her to be careful.

_Still, what if she can do as she says she can?_ she argued to her gut. She had the perfect chance to have her friend back! It was her fault in the first place. Shouldn't she try to right her wrong? _I want Arun back. Wouldn't it be good to have him back with me?_

The clench in her heart agreed. She wanted to stop hurting. No more mourning, no more tears. All she wanted was her friend.

Arty stood to her feet. She made her way to the portal to see what Maleficent wanted to show Riku. The boy did the same, motivated by curiosity. In front of the swirling mass she took a deep breath and held it as she entered.

The experience was downright strange. The second the mass touched her it was like getting dunked in a vat of seaweed. It was slimy and cold. It was one that made her shiver and rub her arms for warmth. She kept on walking, comforted by the footsteps behind her.

The trip was short. A light suddenly shown in front of her. The next second she stood in front of her rented home. Riku appeared beside her. He shifted, unable to take his eyes off the lit window. She turned to do the same.

Inside the single room Sora, Donald, and Goofy were in plain view. They couldn't hear what was being said, but their smiles told them of their fun. Donald and Sora were animated in whatever they were talking about.

Whatever resolve Arty had against helping Maleficent shattered. All she could see was how happy Sora was. It didn't look right on his face at all. It should have been a small smile or a smirk. Not like that.

"You see? It's just as I told you," said Maleficent to Riku. "While you toiled away trying to find your dear friend, he quite simply replaced you with some new companions. Evidently, now he values them far more than he does you. You're better off without that wretched boy. Now, think no more and come with me. I'll help you find what you're searching for."

Riku said nothing. He glared at Sora and burned a hole the boy couldn't feel. Then, he wracked his gaze away and sharply nodded.

"And you? Will you come along as well?" Maleficent turned to Arty.

She swallowed, nodding slowly. She tried to ignore the deep guilt resting inside her. It was difficult to know if she was doing the right thing or not. But, as she touched the smooth marbles in her hairpins, she didn't care.

Arty was going to get her friend back if it was the last thing she did.

* * *

><p><strong>XXX<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>So, here's something I promised I'd do. Everyone was wondering when I'd start Arty's role in <em>Kingdom Hearts<em> and I thought I'd get around to doing this. This is in place of this week's _Heart and Soul_ chapter since I'm having a bit of trouble with it. Writing battles seems to my Achille's heel. This will be fun to write as I have a general idea of what happens. It's the matter of writing it down I gotta do.**

**Just so you know this will be a mix of funny and serious. There will be laughter and teen shenanigans as well as some tears given how the first game plays out. Some chapters will be short while others will be my usual long length. It will also be a good chance to experiment in Riku's POV, because the guy's my favorite character and I'd love to get inside his head.**

**Until the next chapter!**

**Please review!**


	5. Henchmen Bonding

When Riku thought of what girls were like he could give a simple description. They were rather picky about their appearance, taking every chance to look good in front of guys who did not care what they looked like. For some girls like Selphie they were obsessed with romantic stories where there was a princess and a knight in shining armor came to rescue her. For girls like Kairi they were spent most of their time around boys, yet were still girly regardless.

He thought he had a pretty good idea on what they were like. That is, until he met Arty.

Riku didn't really know much about Arty. All he knew from their first meeting was that she lost her world, lost her best friend, and lived in Traverse Town stewing in her guilt from getting her friend killed. She also had a strong dislike of Sora for some odd reason. Riku was still trying to figure out his feelings about Sora traveling through the worlds with people he just met (and already claimed were good friends of his. Did he even think about looking for him or Kairi?), but he knew no one could actually hate Sora at first. His (former?) best friend was too nice for his own good. How did Arty hate him through one meeting?

He never really found out as the last time he actually saw Arty was when Maleficent gave them their rooms. When Maleficent left they talked for a bit to comment how nice their rooms were (and they were very nice rooms. Riku thought the mayor's house where Kairi lived was nice before. Their rooms in the castle made those look like a shack) before they went to sleep. After that, Riku was too busy doing errands for Maleficent. He didn't have time to see her.

It was rather late in the evening when Riku returned from his latest errand. Maleficent made him take a princess of a world (he thought her name was Jasmine) as she was one of the Princesses of Heart. He tried not to remember Sora was also there playing hero. After confirming he was done, the witch told him to put her with the others in the Grand Hall.

_What am I, her lackey?_ Riku seethed. He may have agreed to work for Maleficent in order to find Kairi, but she made him do all her dirty work. From what he saw, she was pulling the strings behind not only the Heartless but the other members of her 'club' as well. Whatever the case, he didn't care about them. He was just there to find Kairi. That didn't mean he enjoyed being ordered around.

So, he grudgingly placed the princess with the other girls in their glass containers. Riku tried not to think they were more like coffins since five (now six) of them appeared like corpses. They did look like they were dead, which was why he tried not to spend too much time in the Grand Hall. It was creepy being around them. He put the princess in her place and turned to leave the room when he noticed something strange.

Heartless (the soldier kind) climbed the stairs in the back of the room that led to where Maleficent wanted her Keyhole built. He wouldn't have found it strange since Heartless were a daily sight, but they were acting strange. Riku drew closer to where they were, climbing the two stairs to follow the Heartless. At the top of the second stairs on the left he found the reason they were there.

The Heartless grouped around the pipes that would send power to the Keyhole. They didn't really do anything. They just stood there. When Riku came closer (not close enough to gain the Heartless' attention) he saw white fabric. Riku stared in surprise when he saw a small figure curled between the gaps of the pipes. The figure lay with a white pillow under their head and wrapped in a blue comforter. A box full of tools and a black laptop lay by her feet. With the comforter pulled all the way up Riku made out the back of a messy auburn haired girl.

_Arty? _Riku couldn't believe it. What was that girl doing sleeping in the Grand Hall? Better yet, what was she thinking when Heartless were around? He wanted to question further, then saw a Heartless reach towards her. _Oh, no, you don't!_

Riku's sword, which he named Soul Eater, flashed in his hand. He slashed at the Heartless and quickly took out the rest before they could think of retaliating. He lowered his blade as Arty shifted.

She whimpered and lifted her head to shift her gaze over her shoulder. She blinked at him with half-lidded eyes.

"Riku?" she said in a groggy tone. "What are you doin'?"

"I think I should be asking you that, " said Riku. He lowered his blade and glared at her. "Do you have a death wish or something? Why are you sleeping out here where Heartless can get you? They can't touch you when you're in your room."

She lay her head back down and fell silent. Riku thought she might have fallen asleep again and was about to go over to forcefully wake her up. Then, she spoke.

"I don't like my room."

"I thought you said our rooms were amazing." Arty looked excited when she saw her room. She bounced around it with awe like she couldn't believe she was staying in such a place. What changed now?

"It's...difficult to explain. I loved my room until I had to actually go to sleep. It's nice and all, but it's not home."

"What do you mean?" Riku asked, now curious.

"I don't feel like I'm home. Sure, my room back in my world was tiny and all, but I felt safe there. Here..." She rolled out from under the pipes and sat up. She gestured to everything around her. "Everything is so fancy and foreign. My room is nice, but outside my doors Heartless are crawling all over the place. I don't feel safe."

Riku studied her. Arty rubbed at her eyes, standing to stretch out the kinks in her muscles. Her clothes were wrinkled and had rips and grease spots all over. Purple bags hung under her eyes, noticeable on her pale face. She looked worse than when he originally met her.

"Have you been taking care of yourself?" he guessed. She looked sick. She remained silent. His glare intensified. "When was the last time you ate? How many hours are you sleeping?"

She shrugged sheepishly.

"I don't remember. I've been busy working for so long the hours kinda blend. I think I ate a sandwich earlier."

Riku almost slapped his forehead at her answer. For someone so smart she was such an airhead. Heaving a heavy sigh, he made a decision. He dismissed Soul Eater and went to pick up her pillow and comforter. Ignoring the odd look Arty gave him and tucking them under an arm, he grabbed her wrist to drag her down the stairs.

"Riku, what-"

"We are getting something to eat and you're going to sleep in a bed, not out here," he declared.

"But, I can't sleep in my room!" she protested.

"I don't care. It's the only place where you won't be attacked by Heartless."

"It's not just the matter of security I can't sleep!" Arty shook off his hand to halt in her footsteps. "There are other reasons why I can't sleep in that room!"

"Oh? And what are they?" Riku asked, raising an eyebrow in challenge. He couldn't wait to hear her excuses. He grew interested when she flushed.

"The room's way too dark, it's really cold in there and..." Her flush deepened. "I can't sleep without Mr. Pudding."

"Excuse me?" Riku could understand the first two reasons. After she lost her home and friend to the darkness, it was understandable she'd be afraid of the dark. He also agreed the rooms were too cold. But, the last he didn't understand. "Who's Mr. Pudding? Your pet?"

"My, uh, stuffed cat. Don't make fun of me!" Arty cried indignantly when Riku snickered. She stamped her foot on the ground in anger. "Yes, I still sleep with a stuffed toy! Got a problem with that?"

"Yeah, I do. You're fourteen and you still sleep with a doll?" The idea was so ridiculous he couldn't help but laugh. Not even Selphie and Kairi slept with stuffed animals anymore.

"It's perfectly natural to continue sleeping with a stuffed toy for sentimental reasons! My dad gave him to me when I was four after Mom-" She abruptly stopped and sighed. "I've been sleeping with Mr. Pudding for as long as I can remember. Since my home's gone, I can't get him and it's hard to sleep without him. He made me feel safe."

"You're such a kid," Riku stated, matter-of-factly. He continued to laugh. Honestly? She was so reliant on a stuffed toy she couldn't sleep without it?

"And what's that supposed to mean?" she demanded.

She winced when he flicked her on the forehead. She glared up at his smug smirk.

"It means that you are way too innocent. I mean, what kind of teenager still sleeps with a stuffed toy?"

"The kind that likes feeling safe. So what if I sleep with one? It's not like I have Mr. Pudding now. He's gone just like my dad and..." Arty trailed off, swallowing. Her eyes blinked rapidly. "You know what? Forget it. I'll just sleep in here."

She made a move to retrieve her comforter and pillow. Riku took her wrist again to lead her out of the Grand Hall and through the castle. She protested.

"If you're not okay with sleeping alone," Riku said, silencing her protests, "you can sleep in my room for now. At least then I'll know you're getting some sleep."

"Are you sure? I won't be bothering you?" Arty asked, unsure.

"It's fine. We'll just think of it like a sleep over or something." Riku glanced over his shoulder to grin at her to show it was okay with him.

He was temporarily dazed by the bright, relieved smile she gave. He had never seen her smile like that before. The ones she always gave seemed so hopeless. Now, it was different.

"Okay. Thanks."

His grin became more genuine. Though Arty wasn't like the average girl, she showed it in a different way. That made her more interesting than he realized.

After that day, Arty became more energetic from getting a good night's rest. It took him awhile to get her to eat three meals a day and, as a result, her eating doubled. With those meals she began to glow in good health. Whenever Riku saw her she would be a much bubblier person than when he first met her. It was like she was full of life again. And, if he happened to see the yellow stuffed character called a Chocobo (and which she named Layton) he bought her for when he was off world and she was alone, he didn't say anything.

Arty was a girl, after all.

* * *

><p><strong>XXX<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>This is dedicated to all those people who still hold a stuffed animal near and dear to their hearts to this day! You're never too old to sleep with a stuffed animal when they mean so much to you.<strong>

**For those of you who read this story, I will update this one once every week alongside the main story, _Heart and Soul,_ seeing as how we've approached the final act of the story. That means more of Arty's role in the first game will be revealed at the same time _Heart and Soul_ is close to the end. My goal is to finish telling Arty's story by the end of this year. I hope all of you keep reading to the end.**

**Please review!**


	6. Undersea Adventure

Arty couldn't remember the last time she had a peaceful sleep. Ever since she started sharing a bed with Riku, she got some sleep though it was a bit annoying. It was difficult to share a bed with a boy like Riku. He slept fitfully and he kept waking her up at night if she slept earlier than he did. She got her revenge on him when he knocked her to the floor by taking the blanket with her, wrapped around her body.

That's what he got for kicking her out, the jerk. So, when she didn't wake up without interruption, she was content.

That was when a force sent her tumbling off the bed.

She woke up the instant her body hit something cold. A pitiful moan left her when she opened her eyes and saw, yes, she was on the floor.

"Dang it, Riku," she hissed. She was sick of waking up like this. Didn't he understand the concept of sharing? She sat up, ready to tell him off. That was when she found things were different than the last time she was awake.

Arty was astounded to find herself in a small room with metal walls. It was the size of a storage room with a twin-sized bed crammed into the very corners of the room. There was enough space for her to move around. There was a single door that she knew slid open.

Why was she in a Gummi ship? Arty wondered as she stood. She knew this room. It was one placed inside a Gummi ship-the one she built for Riku to travel through the worlds when she learned that using Maleficent's method wasn't the safest. Riku sparingly used it given that he didn't like driving it. He said it was easier to use the portals Maleficent created. She would have remembered if she got into a Gummi ship herself.

Someone must have brought her there. After all, who would leave her clothes and shoes on the desk?

Scowling, Arty changed out of her pajamas and into her clothes. After pulling on her shoes, she exited the room and walked down the hallway towards the captain's room. She entered the larger room that contained only two chairs-one of which was the driver's seat. Her irritation heightened when she saw the culprit behind the wheel.

"Morning, Arty," Riku greeted. He shifted his head to smile at her.

"Is it really, Riku? Because when I woke up, I found myself on a Gummi ship when I went to bed inside a castle." Arty folded her arms across her chest. "What the heck? I know you do outrageous stunts, but this is a little much."

"Am I not allowed to bring a friend on an outing?"

"Riku…"

"Alright, alright. I wanted to take you out of the castle for once," he explained. He put the ship on auto pilot and leaned back in his chair. "You've been stuck in that castle for a month. All you ever do is work on that keyhole for Maleficent. I thought you would want to travel to more worlds. It makes for a nice change of pace, don't you think?"

"Travel? I have work to do!"

"All you ever do is work. Don't you want to take a break?"

"I take lots of breaks."

"Then, consider this a vacation."

"Riku," Arty groaned. She ran a hand through her bed head. There was no way she was going to win this argument. Riku was one of the most stubborn boys she had the misfortune of befriending. When he put his mind to it he went through with whatever crazy plan he concocted. It was one of the traits she admired and loathed about him. All she could do was plop into the empty chair and sulk in defeat. "Alright, I'll take your vacation. Does Maleficent know I'm here?"

He smirked at her, eyes glinting in mischief. She raised an eyebrow.

"You're a cheeky jerk, you know that?"

"It's not my fault she treats me like I'm her minion," Riku chuckled. "Besides, she'll figure out if you're gone you're possibly with me. You wouldn't leave the world of your own free will, anyway."

Arty rolled her eyes. "Aren't you a rebellious teen? Since I'm being forced on this vacation, what world are we headed to?"

"Ursula's world. You know, the sea witch?"

"Is she the one that looks like an octopus?" She didn't know much about the members of Maleficent's dark council or whatever she called it. She caught a glimpse of a few members. One of them was this odd octopus/woman hybrid that creeped her out. Not only that, she reminded her of sushi (though at the time Arty was hungry).

"That's the one," he confirmed. "Maleficent wants me to go get an ingredient she wants to use in a magic spell. The only way you can get the ingredient is on her world."

"So you're being used as a fetching dog again?"

His silence told her everything.

Arty snickered under her breath. She loved to tease him about his dislike for being called that. Leaning back, she closed her eyes and relaxed.

Maybe Riku was right. Ever since she found out worlds existed, she never had the chance to travel. Arty blamed it on her broken heart at the time, but she did want to travel through worlds. Who knew what sorts of things existed out there? Adventure, treasure! It was all the things she read about in books. They were things she wanted to experience. Sure, she wanted both of her boys at her side when she did get that chance. She was lucky to have Riku to go on an adventure with.

She smiled. This was going to be fun. She knew it. Sighing in content, she closed her eyes until it was time to go exploring.

Thirty minutes later, Arty awoke to a loud noise. When the radar beeped to alert them to an oncoming world they soon came upon a bright blue world mostly encompassed by rocks. What little they could see of the world was a sphere of what looked to be water and contained a palace constructed of coral and sunken pirate ships.

"Riku, this is a world full of water," Arty observed as Riku stood to head to a teleporter pad that would beam them down to the world. Since worlds weren't supposed to know they were a part of a bigger universe, it was best to leave the Gummi ship through a teleporter.

"I know that," he said, picking up one of the remotes that activated the machine.

"If this is a world of water, don't you think we're going to drown once we get down there?"

He waved off her off.

"You worry too much. Leave everything to me."

_That's what I'm worried about._ Riku was arrogant as he was reckless. He believed himself to be better and invincible like most teenagers believed themselves to be. She wasn't sure what he was going to do to make sure they wouldn't drown. _Please don't let me die because of an arrogant teen._

That would be an embarrassing death.

Arty pushed back her worry to stand next to Riku. He activated the machine and they were headed down to the world below.

* * *

><p>xxx<p>

* * *

><p>The tingling sensation retreated and disappeared within an instant. When it did Arty knew something was off. It felt as if her sense of gravity wasn't working anymore, giving her a small headache. She opened her eyes to see the problem.<p>

Blue. That was all Arty could see at first because of how clear it was. The color seemed to surround her completely. Then, she took in the various rock formations and, to her surprise, colorful coral. The latter she had only seen in books before as they were found in the ocean. She wondered how that was possible when she also saw dark crevices deep below and a light grey…tail.

Eyes the same shade widened. Arty followed where the tail connected to find it belonged to her in a place that once had her legs.

"What in the worlds?" She looked down at herself to find, yes, it was a tail she had. It had soft looking fins like that of a dolphin. She reached behind her to find a dorsal fin there as curved as her tail. And the worst part, she discovered, was the fact she was nearly topless save for a white shell bikini to cover her small chest. The water grew warm around her cheeks. She covered her chest with the folds of her arms. "Riku!"

"You called?" Riku appeared beside her. She took one look at him. He was also in the same form as her with a tail the same aqua as his eyes with sharper curves on his dorsal fin. Unfortunately, he was also bare-chested.

"Why are we merpeople? I thought they didn't exist?" Arty knew what they were. She was a mermaid and Riku was a merman. They were now mythical creatures of the ocean. What she didn't understand was _how_ they were in those forms.

"Of course they exist. They do on this world," he explained. He swam out to float in front of her, grinning. "I had to do a little magic to change our forms so we could breathe and blend in. That's why we don't have legs anymore."

"You kidnapped me so I could be a mermaid?"

"You don't like it?"

Arty was unsure whether to be mad at him or not. Riku kidnapped her to give her a break after working for so long. It was sweet of him to worry about her wellbeing when he didn't need to. Riku had his own goals so he didn't need to look after her. He did anyway because he was nice like that.

"No, I like it," she relented, begrudgingly. "Did you have to choose a world where gravity doesn't apply to bring me somewhere?"

"You've never dreamed of being a mermaid?" Riku backflipped in the middle of the water to demonstrate his point. He began to swim in twists and turns in the open ocean. "Look at what you could do that you couldn't before. Not everything has to have a scientific explanation."

"I suppose not."

"Then, there's no problem. Unless…" Arty jerked backwards, startled, when Riku's face popped down from above a few inches away from her. He floated upside down and his smirk looked like a frown. "You don't know how to swim?"

"Of course I know how to swim." She pushed Riku away by the face, insulted. How could he think such a thing? She lived by a river. The first thing her father taught her as soon as she could walk was to learn to swim. There were children who never learned how to swim and they usually drowned in the river by accident.

Riku righted himself and folded his arms.

"Is that so? Prove it."

"Fine. I will!" Arty decided sticking her tongue out at him wouldn't help. Instead, she huffed and turned to prove him wrong. She concentrated on using her muscles that normally was for her legs to swish her new tail. She did so slowly until she was comfortably swimming in a circle around Riku. She gave him a cheeky grin. "See? Told you I could swim."

"I guess," he replied, unimpressed. "It's pretty good. You know, for an amateur."

She stopped in her tracks. "What did you say?"

"You heard me. An amateur. The little kids here can swim faster than you. Heck, even I can swim circles around you. Like this!"

In a surprisingly childish gesture Riku slipped his hand to her hair to pluck out one of her hairpins. Then, he tapped her shoulder and swam off.

"Tag, you're it!"

Arty floated in place, watching him swim away, in shock. It took her a second to realize he took her sun pin. A few free locks swayed in her eyes. Unfamiliar rage filled her.

"_Riku!_" She shot off like a torpedo after him. Riku laughed as he dove towards the crevices and went around the corals. She did her best to follow after him. "Riku, stop. Give it back!"

"Gotta catch me if you want it," he called back, rounding around a rock formation.

"Riku, please! You don't understand!"

So that was the pattern that went on for half an hour. Arty was left chasing Riku all through the area. Upwards, downwards, left, right, loop-de-loops-they did it all. Riku was just as agile in the ocean just as he was on land. He swerved sharply to throw her off his tail. There were also many obstacles in her way that made her think about how to get past them. The longer they went on the more Arty was close to crying.

It got to the point she had to stop to gain control of her emotions again.

She rubbed the balls of her hands on her eyes. It was becoming harder for her to keep her tears at bay. A part of her wondered if mermaids could cry. They had the same emotions as humans (if those stories about mermaids falling in love with sailors were true) so were their biological responses the same? Being in the water, they had no use for tearducts. She was about to find out first hand if she couldn't control herself.

Through the cracks of her hands, she saw Riku swam out from his hiding spot behind a reef.

"You're never going to get me if you…" He trailed off. Removing her hands, she saw his grin fell. "Is something wrong?"

She held out her hand. Her face became unreadable to hide her breakdown. "Give me back my hairpin. Please."

He silently placed the hairpin in the palm of her hand.

"Thank you." She turned away. Gathering her bangs back, she delicately slipped the pin back in place beside its companion. Without a mirror it was hard to tell if it looked proper.

"You've never told me why those are your favorite accessories," Riku slowly said. "You're always wearing them. Why are they important to you?"

"They just are, Riku," Arty snapped, harshly. It wasn't fair to him, but she was already struggling to keep herself together. "Can we go run that errand now? I want to get back to my work."

"…Sure. Follow me."

He swam off towards a cliff. She followed after him.

All semblance of fun faded. They silently swam towards the cliff face. Riku glanced over his shoulder a few times as they went. He resembled a kicked dog, which made her sick with guilt. She ignored it the best she could. The best distraction she had was to examine the underwater geysers that dotted the ocean floor, the pressure disrupting some wildlife. They weaved around those.

Reaching the cliff, there was some kind of giant hole. It blew out intense geysers strong enough to put up a resistance. Arty thought all these geysers were a problem. For them, at least. The world inhabitants were used to that kind of thing.

"We're going to have to go through here," Riku informed her. "I can get through fine, but you're going to have to hold onto me."

Arty considered this. It was true there was no way she could swim against that current on her own. The bubbles the spewed forth told her how hard she needed to maintain a constant speed to swim. Being new to her finny form, she wouldn't be able to do it.

Riku, meanwhile, demonstrated his skill plainly. He had the motor control in his lower half to fight the current.

Nevertheless, just because she observed this that didn't mean she forgave him for that stunt.

Without a word, she grabbed his hand.

For a second Arty thought she saw a glimmer of relief on his face. Riku dragged her towards the salty glowing hole. The current pushed at her face and made her forget to look.

The blast of water which hit her was much like being hit with a wooden sign. It smothered all around as if to choke her being. If she were in human form, she would have drowned as it knocked the wind out of her.

Riku held a firm grip on her hand. His tail propelled them as hard as it could, keeping a steady but fast rhythm. Arty was unable to see much because of the stinging eyes. She knew Riku never faltered in his task to fight the current.

He went at it for while. His physical prowess made Arty wonder how strong Riku was. It seemed like he could do anything. She thought it arrogant of him if he could.

On their right they approached a hole curved away from the current. Riku swam over to it. Arty felt the difference instantly. It became easier to breathe, the aching in her cheeks evidence they went through a water current. She massaged them with her hands.

"You okay?" Riku asked, dropping his grip on her wrist.

She nodded. It was hard to form words. Who knew that could numb her cheeks like that? She thought that happened in open air, not water.

While she did that, Riku went through the darkened opening. She swam after him. Rounding around its slight corner, they came upon an enchanting sight that made her gasp.

Arty was stunned speechless as they entered another area completely hidden away by the natural rock walls encasing the area. It was open area with hardly a ceiling to cover it. There were a few crevices in the ocean floor but nothing that could hide people. What really grabbed her amazement was the single ship resting on a dune. Like it was a centerpiece on display, it was massive and majestic while it held a melancholy where there were holes in the hull, its masts broken and scattered everywhere.

"Arty, would you mind waiting here?" Riku asked, breaking the spell on her. "Ursula's place is through there. I don't think you'd want to go visit her since her place isn't as cool as this."

Arty nodded, noticing he was floating towards the other opening that led to who knew where. If what Riku said was accurate, it was to Ursula's lair.

Riku cracked a half-hearted smile before swimming towards the opening. This left Arty by herself to do as she pleased.

And what she pleased was to go explore a sunken ship.

Grinning in excitement, she swam off towards the ship to do what she wanted until it was time for Riku to come get her.

* * *

><p>xxx<p>

* * *

><p>Arty puffed out her cheeks, miffed over her increasing boredom. An hour had already passed since Riku left her on her lonesome. The excitement of exploring a sunken ship appealed to her for all of five minutes until she saw bony hands attached to the helm. Caleum came to mind, which killed whatever sense of adventure she had.<p>

How long had it been since she thought of Caelum? Arty wondered, lounging lazily in the crow's nest. It was still intact along with most of the main mast. Caelum was one of her best friends. Unlike…_him,_ they had grown up together since they were small. They met in preschool during story time when he asked why an old lady would swallow a whole horse. That led to her asking how a horse swallowed a cow when the cow was bigger than the horse.

She laughed when she remembered how they harassed the daycare teacher to the point they were put on time out. During that time out, they decided to be friends.

Throughout the years they remained the best of friends. Caelum was there for her when that woman left and she stayed for him when his parents died. Despite his attitude change after their deaths, he remained her closest friend.

So as she sat there, thinking of Caelum, she felt remorse she left him in Traverse Town without a word. It wasn't fair to him when she was all that he had left of Meryton, too. Instead, she was selfish and left him without so much as a goodbye.

_I need to do this._ Arty made a deal and she was going to keep it. She had to right the wrongs that happened. Until she got her other best friend back, she wasn't going back. She regretted she did that to him, but she had to. She already gave her word. She'd see this through to the end. _I'm sorry, Caelum. I'll make it up to you. I promise._

She was so hard on her friends.

Sighing heavily, Arty shifted her position so she leaned her arms on the edge of the nest. She laid her head on them. She was like the ship she resided on-full of holes, lying on the lowest level of the sea. She wished she was at the top again to enjoy the sun. The natural craigs shadowed the entire area. It made the sunken ship all the more ghostly.

Haunted places never scared her. Whenever Halloween came around she was never afraid of them. Ghosts didn't exist. It was common knowledge. So she wasn't afraid of the sunken ships.

Sharks were a different story.

They were creatures that had sharp teeth that could rip through flesh should they ever want to. They were deadly and came in a variety of sizes. Given her current form, she knew to be weary of them.

Heaving a sigh, Arty languidly drew patterns in the worn wood. She was so bored! There had to be something she could do instead of waiting around.

Stupid Riku. Why did he have to kidnap her? she thought, irked. He thought he could anything without consequence. She could have been working on the keyhole, not lazing about waiting for him. When they got back to the castle she was going to hide all his sweets. That'll show him.

Arty had enough. Riku may have known what was best for her. That didn't mean she had to listen to him all the time. Filled with determination, she swam out of the crow's nest to go down to the main deck. Then, she went down through the gaping hole in the center to explore the hold.

She weaved through the halls to explore every nook and cranny. There were a lot of things that sank down with the ship. Boxes and crates were everywhere either tied down or broken open. The local life had already picked them empty, so its innards were covered in moss. Weaving through hallways and holes, she kept searching through everything.

Back in Meryton, Arty was able to learn about ships at an early age. It was one of their main economic values as trading ships passed through as checkpoint. It was a rest area for all weary of the river. The Meryton children knew more about ships than they would have cared for. She learned more about the bones of ship when _he_ got a job at the harbor.

Arty was able to go through the ship until she finally reached her destination: the storage area.

When she got there she saw she wasn't the only one in an exploration mood.

"No. That's no good. She has too many of these," muttered a boy. Arty floated in the door way to the store room. It was about half the size of her Hollow Bastion castle room crammed with boxes on top of boxes tied down for safety. It seemed not even a sunken ship rattled it too much. Inside was a young merman a few years younger than her. He had blond hair cut that was long enough to flow down his neck and a long green tail. Like all mermen, he was shirtless. He was rummaging through an open box, its contents spilled to the floor.

He was so engrossed he never heard her.

"Hello?" Arty greeted. She decided to make her presence known.

The boy's body jolted. He dropped the corkscrew wine opener he was examining and whirled around. His big blue eyes clouded in suspicion.

"Who are you?" he demanded. "What do you want?"

Arty was struck with déjà vu. Maybe it was his stance. Perhaps it was his tone. All in all she swore she had been through this before.

"My name's Arty. I was doing some exploring. What's your name?"

"Urchin. What do you mean exploring? Why would you want to explore this place?"

"Maybe for the same reason you are." She nodded at the crates. "I was wondering what kind of treasure was on board. From the sounds of it, so are you."

Urchin folded his arms and scowled.

"Yeah, what of it? It's none of your business," he said, defensively.

"You're right. It's not. So I'll go ahead and look at the other stuff."

Arty swam slowly into the room. She made no eye contact with the boy, but out of the corner of her eye she watched him. Urchin did the same as she went over to an unopened crate on the other side of the room. She made each move deliberately slow. After all, she didn't want to startle him. Prying up the lid, she began to rummage through its contents.

"Huh, would ya look at that?" Arty murmured. Inside were map making supplies. Compasses, papers, and spyglasses filled the inside.

"What'd ya find?" Urchin asked. Though still on his guard, his curiosity won out just as she suspected. He swam up to the box and peered inside. "Wow, look at all this human stuff! I bet Ariel doesn't have any one of these dohickeys."

He picked up a gold tarnished direction compass. He shook it, watching the needle spin to find North.

"It's called a compass," she explained. That inner know-it-all she sometimes was came out. "It's used to help sailors navigate in order to travel during the day. It's very useful."

"A compass…You sure know a lot about human stuff, Arty. Are you interested in humans, too?"

"Something like that." She wasn't supposed to have said that. "Where I'm from I used to watch a humans a lot. I'm always hidden and I listened to their conversations. Are you into humans, too?"

"Nah, not me. My friend is, though." As he spoke, Urchin relaxed. He smiled more freely at her. "She's obsessed about'em. She always likes to collect stuff that falls from the ships. There's a whole collection of them inside her secret place."

"Ooh, are you trying to find her a gift, then?"

"Yeah. She's been really down lately. Those weird monsters are popping up everywhere and her dad forbid her from leaving her house. So she can't go out as much as she wants to."

He must have been talking about the Heartless, she thought. No surprise there.

"What about you? How come you're allowed out? Won't your parents worry?"

Urchin's smile faded and Arty realized she said the wrong thing. He placed the compass inside his burlap sack and swam back to the crate he foraged through before.

"That's no problem. I don't have any," he said, too casual to be sincere.

"So you're all alone?"

"Yup. Just me."

"_I'm an orphan no wants."_

"That's horrible." Arty put a hand over her mouth. She felt unwell. The human side of her wanted to cry. It turned out she couldn't underwater. "No one should grow up like that. You shouldn't be alone."

"Wait, don't get upset," Urchin pleaded, unsettled. He swam back to her to try and calm her down.

"I'm-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do that." She wiped her eyes on habit. "It's not fair that you had to live on your own. It's not right."

"I guess. I'm used to it, though. Why are you so upset about me being an orphan?"

"Both of my best friends are orphans. While one of them lives with his aunt, our other friend had no one. He grew up all alone without anything until I came around."

Out of her two friends she was lucky to have at least one parent around. Caelum lost both of his in an incident. As for her other friend, he was abandoned like a trash bag. She was blessed to have a father who loved her unconditionally. Because of that, she promised herself she'd love both of them enough to fill the void.

Wait, now that she thought of it, didn't losing her world also mean she was an orphan? Her father became a Heartless before her very eyes.

Arty certainly hoped she wasn't.

"Really? Both of them?" Urchin asked, intrigued. She nodded. "Your friends must be lucky to have you as their friend. I sure was when I met Ariel and Flounder. They got me out of a sticky situation when we first met. Now I think of her, her sisters, and her father like family."

"You must love them a lot."

"Sure I do! Though, Ariel's probably wondering where I am by now." He swam over to a new crate to open it. "I gotta find her something that'll make her smile. Something she doesn't have."

"Why don't I help you?" Arty offered.

"You'd do that?"

"Why not? It's saving me from boredom while I wait for my friend."

Urchin thought for a moment, then nodded.

"Sure! Maybe with your help we'll find something unique."

"Then, let's get started."

The two began to search through the crates and barrels inside the room. Arty poked her head around to see what were inside them. Some of the things she found were plates, bottles of wine, expensive food (non perishable, of course), and clothing items. The latter fascinated Urchin, who poked a finger at them.

"Would ya look at that!" he exclaimed. He reached in and held up a grey silk ball gown with frilly lace on the ends of the bell-like sleeves and the hem. His eyes sparkled in wonder at the frilly thing. "I've never seen anything like this. It's really pretty. I wonder what it is?"

"That's a ball gown," Arty absently observed. She was too busy looking through a jewelry box to really pay attention. Being from a lower class family, she often saw gems as a luxury she could never afford. Caelum's birthday gift was the first time she owned precious gems. The jewelry in the box fascinated her and she wanted to keep a few for herself. "Human women wear those at parties or special occasions. Only people like nobility and royalty can really wear stuff like-"

She paused. Something in the box caught all of her attention.

Inside the box lay a silver bracelet on a velvety cushion. The sheer shininess was what first caught her eye. Then, she took in the swirls carved into the rather thin metal. It reminded her of the jade bracelets some of her classmates wore. There was a single charm that connected the bracelet together in a round locket, a latch on the top to open it. Most of all, she was drawn to the magical aura the bracelet emitted.

Having been around Caelum during his magic lessons from Leon and Maleficent's own explanations (the woman _loved_ to hear herself talk), Arty knew when to look out for magical energy. Both users said that magic emitted a presence of its own. An ordinary looking object could feel like it was much more.

Arty hadn't realized what that meant. In the face of the bracelet, she knew from the magic there was more to it than that.

Still, it was kinda pretty…

Arty didn't think much as she picked up the bracelet. She slipped it on her thin wrist to admire it. The metal was surprisingly warm on her bare skin.

"Not bad," she hummed to herself. Save for her hairpins and earrings, she wasn't much of a jewelry girl. She'd make an exception for the bracelet. It suited her.

"That's pretty, too," said Urchin. He swam up behind her to peer down at the bracelet. "It think it suits you, Arty. You should keep it."

"I don't know. Should I?"

"Why not?" It's not like anyone else will use it. Besides, there's a whole bunch of stuff here! If you don't like it, you can choose something else."

"Maybe." He had a point. This ship was at the bottom of the ocean. No one but the fishes could find a new use for them. They were just a waste otherwise.

"Hey, Arty! Come look at this!"

Arty was pulled away from her inner debate by Urchin, who had gone back to his search. The merman was finding more things than she could keep up with. The bracelet was pushed to the back of her mind, but its presence on her wrist lay dormant.

She gave it no other thought to continue her exploration.

* * *

><p><strong>XXX<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>So here's where I show my age. Does anyone remember watching <em>The Little Mermaid<em> show they showed on Toon Disney (now known as Disney XD)? I sure did when I was writing this chapter. It used to be one of my favorite shows as a kid alongside _Madeline_, _Darkwing Duck, _and_ DuckTales._ Some of the episodes I still remember to this day like when King Triton is turned into a small boy and the episode where she gets trapped in this whirlpool cavern and the only thing keeping her there is a locked bracelet.**

**Gosh, I'm old if no one else can remember this!**

**Disney Fun Facts**

**Urchin: ****He is a young merman whom Ariel had befriended after witnessing him steal food during a palace party. He is an orphan who lives alone and didn't have many friends before meeting Ariel. As the episodes go on, he eventually becomes like family to King Triton and his daughters, often playing pranks on the girls and giving a father's day gift to the king of Atlantica. He only appears in the show, but it is speculated that the merboy whom Melody, Ariel's daughter in _The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea,_ first met in Atlantic is actually his son due to a similarity in appearances.**


	7. Santa Speculation

The winter season was a love or hate type of deal for Arun. More often than not, it was the latter case. It was the time of year where the cold, once well-loved during the sweltering summer was now hated as it froze the world. Plants died, animals were forced to sleep, and the weather could kill if not properly prepared for it.

Arun was well used to the cold temperature. On most days out of the year his skin was cool to the touch. Though it never bothered him, he took to wearing jackets and sweaters when it became too much. During the winter season, it became intolerable.

It was not only the element that Arun despised but also what it represented.

"Arun, what are you asking Santa for Christmas?" Arty innocently asked one day out of the blue.

His body came to a halt as his sandwich (a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with the crusts cut off) hovered before his mouth, clamped between his hands. Across the lunch table, Arty stared at him expectantly. The loud chatter of the school cafeteria did nothing to make Arun think he heard wrong.

"Santa? He's not real," he answered, plainly.

She sighed and shook her head in a manner that suggested she was talking to a naïve child. She always did that whenever he did something not socially acceptable.

"He's real. Who else gives good little kids presents for Christmas?"

"Your dad?"

"That can't be it. Daddy can't afford some of the things I got before."

Arun didn't want to ruin her belief in Santa Claus since she was still more childish than him. He grew up in a harsh reality, so he had an excuse not to believe in him.

Then again, he was around her age when he stopped believing.

"Arty, your dad bought you those. He just worked really hard for them," he said to her. "Santa doesn't exist. How can he even fit down a chimney if he's fat? It's not possible."

"Magic, duh! He can expand the chimney and slid right down."

"Then, how can he deliver presents around the world in one night?"

"His sleigh can go really fast. Oh! And he can probably freeze time to deliver everything."

Arun wanted to smack her. She couldn't be serious. Placing down his sandwich, he fixed a scowl at her.

"Time travel? That's stupid and doesn't make sense. Magic doesn't work like that."

She pouted, lips pressed around a bendy straw to her apple juice carton. She tried to talk around it and succeeded. "How could you know how magic works? Are you a wizard?"

"Maybe he's a demon?" Caelum walked up to their lunch table. Having just exited the long lunch line, he held a blue tray topped with chicken nuggets, mashed potatoes, grapes, and milk. He set down his tray and sat next to Arty. "What are you guys talking about?"

"Arun says Santa Claus isn't real! He's been trying to tell me he can't do all the stuff he can because magic works different."

The ten year old shot him a deadly glare. It became a habit for Arun to return it having known the wimpy kid for a few months already.

"Don't listen to him. He's just mad that Santa doesn't give presents to naughty little boys," he said, chewing into his meal.

"I'm naughty? What about you? Aren't good little boys not supposed to be mean for others?" Arun shot back. His face began to warm that had nothing to do with the cafeteria's heater.

"You don't count as a little boy. You're a little demon."

Arun grit his teeth as his glare deepened at the boy calmly eating his lunch. Everything that came out of his mouth never failed to infuriate him. He had never met anyone that could make him want to scoop his eyeballs out of his skull with a spork with but a few words.

Why did Arty have to be friends with such a surly kid anyway, he wondered, shoving his sandwich in his mouth to also swallow the deep anger inside him. Arty was one of the kindest girls he had ever known. She didn't need that jerk when she had him. Then again, Caelum was her oldest friend.

Whether he liked it or not, she would choose Caelum over him any day.

"I don't think Santa would be so mean and give Arun coal. He's been doing better lately," Arty defended in her soft voice. She glanced between the two, the tension floating in the air.

"If you mean he's stopped stealing and smells better, then I guess it is an improvement."

"You shut your mouth!" Arun yelled. The lunch room fell silent as all the kids stared at their table. The teachers on duty inched closer in case a fight broke out. It was almost routine for them to separate Arun and Caelum during fights. Arty sunk in her chair, thoroughly embarrassed by them. "What do I care if Santa doesn't give me presents? He doesn't exist in the first place!"

"So you admit Santa doesn't give you anything for Christmas? I figured as much."

Arun jumped out of his chair and pounded the table with a fist. He was tempted to punch the smug smirk on Caelum's face, but the teachers were already approaching. Instead, he took his rage out on the table. Making a rude hand gesture at Caelum, he stalked out of the lunch room, a dark cloud hanging over his head.

It wasn't even Christmas yet, but he already felt like the holiday was killing him.

He hated winter.

* * *

><p>xxx<p>

* * *

><p>"Arun?"<p>

At the sound of his name Arun buried his head beneath his pillow at Arty's voice. The pillow also helped to block out the hallway light that entered to illuminate his dark room. There was little light inside since he had drawn the curtains closed. Other than the door opening, there was no other movement.

He was glad that Arty didn't abuse her free reign to his small house. Her father had helped him get the place a month ago. The landlord was a friend of his and gave him a discount in renting it out. However, if Arun did anything that the land lord didn't like it was back to the streets for him.

So Arty was free to come into his house, though she never abused the privilege. At that moment, where he was stewing in his simmering anger, he wished she didn't have access to his home.

"Arun, I'm sorry about what Caelum said to you," she apologized, quietly. "He really shouldn't have talked to you like that. It was pretty mean."

"I'll say," he snorted to his pillow. He removed it away from his mouth so fresh air came in. "Don't apologize for something that's not your fault. It doesn't mean anything otherwise."

"I know. I think he was just mad you were telling me Santa wasn't real."

"That's because he's not."

"You don't know that."

"Then, why haven't I gotten anything for Christmas?" he burst out. The simmering turned into full out boiling. He sat up, threw off the pillow entirely, and scowled in Arty's direction. The light made it hard to make out her face. "When I believed in Santa I wrote to him what I wanted for Christmas. You know what I got? Absolutely nothing! Not even a damned piece of coal! While everyone got their presents I didn't get anything!"

"Not even coal?" she asked, perplexed.

He nodded as he settled back on his bed. He could only muster a short burst of anger. He didn't like to remember that Santa basically ignored him.

"I'd be happy to even get a piece of coal. At least I know then that Santa hates me."

"Santa doesn't hate you. Maybe it was too hard to get you your presents? What did you ask for?"

"The usual kid stuff," Arun lied, shrugging. Arty was his friend, but he wasn't comfortable enough to tell her about his past.

Besides, how was he supposed to tell her he wanted a family for Christmas? That was too weird.

"Oh," Arty lamely said. She stood at the doorway, fidgeting awkwardly. "Well, uh, maybe he just forgot? I mean, he has to deliver presents to thousands of kids. And since he's pretty old, he's bound to forget a few kids, right?"

"He's supposed to check his list twice."

"Oh. Right. Well, things are different now! You've got a stable place to live in now. You should try writing to him."

"What's the point? He's going to ignore me again."

"You don't know that."

Arun remained silent. He didn't want to grace that with an answer. She could have been right, yet he didn't want to get his hopes up. He did that so many times in the past he knew that doing so now would set him up for disappointment.

Arty sighed, a hint of frustration laced in the single exhale. "Please consider writing a letter. I don't want you to hate Santa because you thought he hates you."

"I make no promises," he responded, feeling himself give into the request. Against Arty, his only friend, he wanted to do anything to keep her with him. He was still trying to build an immunity to that.

"I'm okay with that. At least I know you'll think about it. Anyway, I just came by to check up on you," she said, far cheerier than a moment ago. "I'm gonna go home now, okay? I'll see you tomorrow!"

She didn't wait to hear him bid her farewell. Stepping back, she pulled the door with her on the way out. The light became smaller and smaller until he was left alone in the darkness again. Arun waited for the definite slam downstairs that signaled Arty was out of his house, and then moved.

He rolled over to bury his face in his pillow again.

Write to Santa Claus again? Arun wasn't stupid enough to try that again. When he still lived in the orphanage he was like any other kid and wrote to the big man in red. Throughout the year he attempted to be a good boy until he unexpectantly relapsed to his disrespectful and mischievous ways. As Christmas rolled in he would write what he wanted and sent his list to Santa when Mrs. Parish asked for them.

However, on Christmas day, he found no present under the Christmas tree labeled for him while the other kids played in joy with their presents. He couldn't understand why he never got anything, so he kept trying.

It was the year before he was kicked out did he hear the truth.

One day after the kids wrote their lists and gave them to Mrs. Parish he went to the kitchen to sneak in a quick snack before dinner. The kitchen turned out to not be empty as he heard voices inside. Curiosity got to him and he eavesdropped on what was being said by standing outside the closed door.

It was Mrs. Parish and one of the teenaged volunteers who worked at the orphanage for community service. She told the volunteer to sort out the Christmas lists to separate the naughty children from the nice. The nice, well behaved children she would buy their presents. The naught children would receive clothes if they were lucky.

Needless to say, hearing this conversation shattered what little holiday cheer he had during the winter season.

Arun didn't want to write a list only to find it sitting in his mailbox. He was sick of getting his hopes raised.

Arty's face flashed in his head and his groaned into his pillow. He didn't want to get his hopes up, but what about Arty? She already hoped he would write to Santa? Did he want to watch her delight fall to disappointment when he told her he didn't do as she asked?

For some reason, that thought didn't sit well with him.

_But what am I supposed to ask for?_ Arun reluctantly succumbed to the idea. There was no fighting it. He was going to write to Santa whether he liked it or not. Now that begged the question: what to ask for?

Having settled back into what was considered a 'normal' life, Arun wasn't sure what he could ask Santa. He wasn't at the stage where he was so bored with life he needed new material possessions. He doubted asking for rent money was an option. How much would Santa even give him? He also recently moved in and wasn't interested in books, toys, or clothes. He had all that.

In that line of thought he would ask for something he really wanted. There was still a problem seeing as he didn't know what he wanted.

_I don't want to be alone again,_ he thought, forlornly. Arun had a taste of being friends with people. He didn't want Arty to stop being his friend. After many months, he still worried she would decide she didn't want to be his friend anymore. That was the only thing he could think of that he really wanted.

He didn't want to lose Arty's friendship.

"I'm pathetic," he said aloud, scoffing at the absurdity of the situation. He was going to ask Santa to let Arty stay as his friend. It was stupid, but he was really going to ask for that. As if Santa could make a little girl stay his friend! He laughed at himself with no real humor as he rolled out of bed. "I can't believe I'm really going to do this. I'm really desperate, aren't I?"

The silence in the air told him, yes, he was desperate. He was still in the habit of talking to himself, so of course he would want to keep his friend for the sake of talking to other people!

Shaking his head at how he was so low as to ask an adult for friendship, he walked over to his desk, turned on the dim desk lamp, and sat down. His desk was small and relatively clean. Most of his notebooks for school and his textbooks were piled in stacks on the edges to keep the main area clear of clutter. Grabbing a loose leaf paper from the stacks and a half-chewed on plastic pen (he had a bad habit of putting them in his mouth and chewing on them when thinking), he began to compose his letter.

Arun decided to write whatever came to mind without really thinking about it. He wanted to finish the letter and get it over with like he would with homework. Who cared if it was right or not? At least he spent time and consideration doing it. He kept the letter short and straight to the point.

It took him all of fifteen minutes to write it and he was blushing at the end of it. He couldn't look at the letter without feeling embarrassed.

"I'm a weakling," he said, dragging his hand down his face to cover the embarrassment he felt. Writing to Santa at his age-this was so dumb! He was half-tempted to crumple up the note to hide his shame, but he made a promise to Arty. He folded it up three times into a rectangle and put it in a red envelope. Scribbling the return address and who the letter was addressed to, he slammed it on the desk and turned out the light. He would put it in his mailbox in the morning before school.

He went back to his bed to bury his head in the comfort of the downy pillow and tried to forget his actions. He swore if Santa didn't do anything again he was never going to write to him again.

This was the last year he was going to believe in Santa Claus.

* * *

><p>XXX<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Merry Christmas, everyone!<strong>

**I thought to give this little piece as my gift to all of you who have stuck around to read _Heart and Soul_. I know it's been awhile since I've updated that. I've hit a bit of a writer's block concerning the next chapter and I recently came out of it. It'll take me a couple days to write down the rest of the chapter and type it up. In the meantime I decided to give you all this!**

**It's not much, but seeing how it's the Christmas season to write when Arun wrote his last letter to Santa, which was revealed in the end of the Halloween Town section. He's still at the age where he wasn't sure if Santa was real and I think people have gone through that. Personally, seeing as how my family has a tradition of opening gifts at midnight on Christmas Eve for as long as I remember, I don't think I even bought the whole Santa Claus idea. But that's just me and my culture ruining that belief.**

**What about all of you? When did you stop believing in Santa and how did you find out?**

**I hope you all have a happy holiday!**

**-Twilit Angel**


End file.
